388 ifcings ot tbe l[3untin(5*jflel& 



that nobleman's decease, and was subsequently created 

 by special grant Baron Bingley, but he did not marry 

 till 1 73 1, and therefore could have had no connection 

 with the Bramham Park estate till after that date. 



Be this as it may, however, the Bramham Moor hounds 

 can, at any rate, trace their origin back as far as James 

 Fox Lane, who hunted the country from about 1775 till 

 not long before his death in 1825. 



Of the early history of the Bramham Moor Hounds, 

 and their first anthenticated Master, Mr James Fox 

 Lane, the following interesting particulars are given by 

 the authors of ' Country Quarters' : * Mr James Fox of 

 Bramham Park was in his younger days much on the 

 move. But, having married the Hon. Marcia Pitt, sister 

 of Lord Rivers, he settled to the life of a country 

 gentleman, and established a well-appointed pack of fox- 

 hounds, which he kept at Bramham Park, in kennels 

 close to the spot, though not the same as now. He was 

 a man of good manners, hospitable and courteous to all ; 

 not a pushing horseman, but a good judge of horse and 

 hound, and, being a friend and contemporar}- of Hugo 

 Meynell, took much pains in improving hounds, and 

 obtaining good blood. He had for many years during 

 the latter part of his Mastership, a huntsman by name 

 Martin Walkerley, a first-rate man, who, though rather 

 stout, was well mounted, and could live well with his 

 hounds. Old Martin was famed for a beautiful view 

 halloa! He died in 1821. The splendid woods near 

 Selby and Cawood were in those da}'s full of foxes, 

 marten cats, and woodcocks — alas ! now only game. 

 There was a Bramham Moor Hunt Club, with a coat and 

 button worn by Mr Fox's friends. The hunting-coat, 

 scarlet, silver button, with a fox and "forward" on it. 



