TLbc lRev\ 5obn IRussell 335 



brated character called John Sanger, a hard-riding yeo- 

 man, who, although weighing eighteen stone, and mounted 

 on a thirteen-hand Exmoor pony, had more than once 

 beaten over the moor Mr Newton Fellowes, the great 

 squire of Eggesford, whose hunters were remarkably 

 well-bred. Sanger belonged to Bishop's Nympton 

 parish ; but, on that Sunday, when Russell and his 

 bride made their appearance at South Molton church, 

 he occupied a seat a little distance off, but exactly front- 

 ing their pew. 



On coming out of church, he marched up to Mrs 

 Russell, and, with hat in hand, and a profound bow, 

 said : — 



' Good-morning to you, ma'am ; I have never seen in 

 all my life such a fine woman as you are. But you 

 have spoiled my devotions, for I couldn't take my eyes 

 off you all church time.' 



Shortly after his marriage Jack Russell became curate 

 to his father at Iddesleigh, and started a small pack of 

 foxhounds. But he had great difficulties to contend 

 with, for the sport of legitimate fox-hunting was utterly 

 ignored by a majority of the natives ; it had long been, 

 and still was, their practice to murder a fox, when and 

 however they could catch him. To such an extent did 

 this practice prevail, that, for the first season or two, 

 owing to the scarcity of foxes, Russell was compelled to 

 hunt both fox and hare with the same hounds ; so that 

 when the real wild article was not to be found, the other 

 was always at hand to give his hounds a spin and keep 

 his field in good humour. Russell thus describes his 

 first adventure with a party bent on murdering a fox in 

 his new country : — 



' During the winter of the first year I was at Iddes- 



