Tlin HUNTSMEN. 



75 



Jones was apparently rather scv^ere on his clothes, for after two 

 seasons he had to have a new rig-out. On September 23rd, 1S4S, when 

 luinting, the committee sent him home early in the afternoon, " as it turned 

 '' out very wet, to save his new red coat.'' He was very fond of taking 

 out a large pack, usually eighteen or nineteen couples. The account of a 

 run, 26th October, 1S4S, finishes up thus : — " Lost, a very sporting run, 

 "the result would have been different had not Jones taken out every dog 

 " in the pack, puppies included." The Sport Books give several accounts 

 of hares jumping into the arms of Jones, and his speed and agility must 

 have been quite abnormal, as one recortl reads- 

 Found a hare, wliich i;ave us a s;ood daj-'s sport, occasionally getting 

 away with a considerable reprieve, at length being caught bj^ Jones himself to 

 prevent the hounds from eating her. Not being hurt, she was turned down 

 again, when she gave us an excellent run till dark, and actually got away at 

 last. Jones considers this a kill, so book it accordingly as " Kill No. 16." 



It would appear that if no members turned up at a meet, Jones either 

 assumed or was allowed the privilege of "throwing off" on his own account. 

 The Sport Books record several runs that Jones had by himself; and on one 

 occasion, the meet being at Thingwall Mill, it is noted that '■ the hare took 

 "into Arrowe Park after an hour's run, and there being only two strangers 

 " present, Jones whipped off and took the hounds home." Jones was thirty 

 years of age when he came to the R.R.]]. ; he hunted the hounds for eight 

 seasons, and must have overdone 

 himself with running, as he died 

 suddenly on his sofa at the 

 kennels on the afternoon of i ilh 

 January, 1854. 'J'here had been 

 no hunting for a fortnight pre- 

 vious to the day of his death, on 

 account of a severe frost, which 

 lasted till 19th January. His 

 portrait appears with that of Mr. 

 Rawson. 



e.xtract from the mlntte 

 Book. 



Our huntsman Humphrey Jones 

 died very suddenly on Wednesday, 

 nth January, 1854, at 7-30 p.m. 

 He had been a faithful servant to 



US for seven years and a half, and ^m?/'/ \\ 



was in every sense of the word an ^-v\> vf// ^\ 'iM\7ii(i A I/// jlVll^ 



excellent, worthy man. He was ^3WfcM Ao 

 buried at Bebington Church on :^iYV^^^/|w^ 



16th January, seven of the mem- ^ip^-'^ '' ^>"-*' - ";" " ^ 1 L. .. ' 4i.iv ".j!'^ rir-^ 

 bers attending his funeral. * ^V/ . V ^ ^'-'I^J!;^- 



L 2 



IN MEMORY OF 



HUMPHREY JONES, 



HUNTSMAN cr 

 THE ROYAL ROCK BEAGLES, 



WHO 



DIED 11th JANUARY, 1854, 



AGED 38 YEARS. 



The Members of the Hunt h*ve 

 placed this stone over his mortal 

 remains, as a mark of their respect 

 for the memory of an honesr, 

 Faithful, and Valued Servant 





^>.. 



