HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS. 17 



say how, as a girl, she used to go and stay on 

 the Royal Terrace — and Southend never lost 

 its charm for her. A long and valuable stretch 

 of foreshore belonged to Mr. Scratton, and he 

 employed men and boys to gather oysters and 

 winkles for the London markets. He was an 

 experienced agriculturalist, and took a keen 

 interest in public affairs. 



J. P. for the County, D.L., and Chairman 

 of the Board of Guardians, a first-rate coachman, 

 for some time he ran the ordinary passenger 

 coach (himself not unfrequently driving) be- 

 tween London and Southend, afterwards when 

 the Great Eastern Railway came as far as 

 Brentwood, the passengers were landed at the 

 Station to continue their journey by rail to 

 London. On the resignation of Mr. James 

 Parker Mr. Scratton bought the hounds, 

 built the kennels at the Priory, and in 1861, 

 when Sir Thomas Leonard retired from the 

 Mastership of South Essex Hounds, he united 

 the two countries, and they have remained so 

 since that time. Tradition says the country 

 reaches from White Chapel Church to Brad- 

 well-on-Sea. The only lines of railway, were 

 the Great Eastern, which ran by Chelmsford, 

 and the London and Tilbury, going along the 

 marshes to Southend (No need then for railway 

 keys, or even for Mr. Russell to jump his 

 gallant grey in and out of the railway fence — 

 over a good five feet of timber). 



Mr. Scratton had a hound van which at one 

 time was the property of Mr. Assheton Smith, 

 and when the meets were wide, with four horses 



