SECURING COUNTRY. 



Letter front tlie Rev. James ^[(^it!7C'aril!f[. 



17 



To C. Rawson. Bronil)oron,t;Ii Hall, November 24th, 1845. 



Dear Sir, — In reply to your note, forwarded thro' our friend Mr. Vertne, 

 1 regret that it is not in my power to accede to the request contained in that 

 note of sporting over my property in Brombro' with the Royal Rock Beagles. 



After having so long surrendered my coverts to the Hooton Hunt, I could 

 not think it consistent to permit any interference with Sir Wm. Stanley's 

 amusements, or of those who usually attend that Hunt. And in addition to 

 this, I must study the convenience of my tenantry, who would suffer damage 

 in their fences by the pedestrians who are assembled on such occasions. 



Had I a property outlying from Bromboro', I should have been glad to 

 have granted the permission, but I cannot consent to have the privacy of 

 my little estate interfered with. 



From the same. 



December 2nd, 1845. 

 Dear Sir. — I was favoured with yours last morning, and in reply beg to 

 observe, that whatever the law allows in the pursuit of game, I must, it is 

 presumed, of necessity submit to, but more than that I cannot concede in the 

 \\a}- of sporting over my property in Bromboro'. 



I have the honour to remain, yours obediently, 



James Mainwaring. 



No record has been preserved of the letter written by C. Rawson to 

 Mr. Mainwaring, in reply to the above letter of 24th November, 1845, but it 

 is evident that Mr. Rawson pointed out that although Mr. Mainwaring 

 refused permission to the R.R.B. to draw on his land, yet in accordance 

 with the etiquette of sport, they claimed tlie privilege of following the hare 

 on to tlie foi bidden ground. As a matter of fact the R.R.B. never attempted 

 to fi.\ any meet from wliich it was likely that a hare would run on to Mr. 

 Mainwaring's land, until in 1S51 they began to meet at Spital station. 

 15romborough Hall was at this time occupied by ]\Ir. Rankin, and he 

 appears to have allowed the beagles to hunt over the land between Spital 

 and Bromborough, but there is an entry in the Sport Book of the Hunt — 



Monday, 14th March, 1853. Spital Station. A desperate wet day ; how- 

 ever, Mr. Macfie showed up and worked on to Bromborough, and had the 

 pleasure of being warned off by Mr. Rankin's keeper, and did nothing. 



At the first annual general meeting of the subscribers to the Royal Rock 

 Beagles, held at the Royal Rock Ferry Hotel, on the 29th August, 1846 : — 



Present. 

 Mr. C. Rawson, Junior, in the chair. 

 T. .\. Bushby, E. Morgan, W. Pyke, 



H. Walford, J. Hasleden, E. Matthias, 



A. Walford, T. Sleddell, G. Johnston. 



J. Scott, J. B. Amey. 



