214 Sir Charles Knight ley. 



showing it off to great advantage ; its rich deer 

 park mantled by a grove of majestic beeches ; 

 and a lake to complete the beauty of the pano- 

 rama, it stands conspicuous as one of ''The 

 Stately Homes of England." 



It was an added satisfaction to know that the 

 character of the owner was in harmony with the 

 grandeur of the place : and Sir Charles Knightley 

 was a prince among fox-hunters. 



The plentiful supply of venison enabled Sir 

 Charles to exercise his generosity to his friends, 

 tenants, and neighbours to the full. Men of all 

 creeds could eat of his venison with avidity and 

 a relish. But he was at variance with the cooks, 

 and, considering that they did not do justice to 

 the haunches he sent to his friends, he determined 

 to ask the recipients, in many instances, within 

 a radius of a dozen miles of Fawsley, to cook it 

 there. To carry out this scheme he had an oven 

 placed upon wheels and sent the venison to his 

 friends, properly cooked, at any hour they chose 

 to name. 



Many anecdotes were told of Sir Charles 

 Knightley. Here is one : A fat deer managed to 

 escape from the park in the height of the season 

 for killing, and it strayed to a field in Byfield 

 Parish near to Griffin's Gorse, and was killed by 



