assbeton Stnitb 9n 



there; gentle and simple alike laughed at the idea of 

 the new squire's ever creating a Tedworth hunting 

 country. But Thomas Assheton Smith went to work in 

 that grim, dogged way of his, and difficulty after difficulty 

 went down before his energy and perseverance. The 

 woods were felled, and enormous green rides opened as 

 if by magic to the eyes of the admiring gentry and 

 farmers of the district. And so Tom Smith had his way, 

 and the Tedworth hounds became an accomplished fact. 

 ' Nimrod ' in one of his ' Hunting Tours ' thus describes 

 a meet with the Tedworth at Wej^hill : — 



' There were 300 horsemen in the field. Not only was 

 the appearance of the hounds, as hounds, splendid 

 indeed, but their performance was equally good. The 

 scent was wretchedly bad, but they stooped to it like 

 rabbit beagles ; and, unfortunate as our day's sport was in 

 other respects, any one would have had a treat in seeing 

 this highly-bred pack pick their way, as it were, inch by 

 inch over one stubble-field. I must own I was delighted, 

 and I wish some huntsmen I could name had been 

 present to take a lesson from their huntsman Mr Smith, 

 whose patience and judgment were conspicuous on this 

 trying occasion. I say trying because his fox was just 

 before him, and he had the eyes of a large field upon 

 him. But he never lifted his hounds a yard, though the 

 line of the country was apparentl}' before him ; and thus 

 did he hit off his fox, for he did not take that line.' 



With an income of nearly ;^50,ooo a year, mainly de- 

 rived from the mines and quarries on his Welsh estates, 

 Assheton Smith could well afford to do everything in 

 princely sjtyle. His hunting establishment was magni- 

 ficent. 



The kennels at Tedworth were situated about ten 



