I30 ROYAL ROCK BEAGLE HUNT. 



country, the increase is principally in Ellesmere Port and Neston, 'We may 

 confidently assume that the tide of development in the Hundred of Wirral 

 has about reached its flood, and that the ratio of increase will in the future 

 fall short of that of the past fifty years. The opening of the new line of 

 railway, now in course of construction, through Burton to Prenton, Bidston, 

 and Seacombe, is looked forward to by many as the starting-point of a 

 future "boom" in residential localities. 



The effect of this increase of i)opulation on hunting may be seen in 

 comparing the fixtures of the first ten seasons of the R.R.B. with those of 

 the last ten seasons. Referring to the accompanying Table of jNIeets, it will 

 be seen that we have been completely driven out of the \^'alIasey peninsula, 

 as also out of the Tranmere district ; and although we can still have frequent 

 meets in the country about Noctorum, Woodchurch, Uj^iton, and Bebingtop — 

 which in the early days were the principal hunting grounds for our pack — we 

 now seem to be forced to the southern portion of our country, having our 

 principal and best fixtures at Ledsham, "W'illaston, Capenhurst, Ness, and 

 Raby. Under these circumstances we may justly feel some amount of 

 chagrin that the gentlemen who first inaugurated the R.R.B. did not foresee 

 the probable cramping of their country, and tnke steps to procure per- 

 mission to hunt the land about Mollington, whicli at the present day affords 

 five good fixtures for the Cheshire Beagles, available for some six meets j)er 

 month through the season. There can be little doubt that the ])roper 

 boundary for the Royal Rock country should have been the canal running 

 from Chester to Ellesmere Port. 



TABLE OF MEETS, 



SHOWING THE NUMBER OE MEETS IN ICACH SEASON AT VARIOUS CENTRES. 



Fii;sT Dkcadk. Last Decadi'. 



■*--t--i-Ti-.tj-ir)u-jir)ioin cooooocooo oa\a^a\a^ 



OOOOCOGOOOOOOOCOOOCO OOQOOOOOCOCOCOCOOOOO 



Wallasey and .Seacombe 3332--1---.. 



Higher Debington and Tranmere 73 14 784633- -.. 



liebington and Spital 178S868141345.. 3643533443 



I'idston, Prenton, and Woodchurch .... g 11 17 14 15 9 14 16 13 12 .. 6 o 4 7 6 6 3 4 3 4 



Moreton, Upton, and Grea&by 41186991012910.. 3332157684 



Hoylake, ("irange, and Saughall 2123333322.. 3321232- 12 



Caldy, Thurstaston, and Irby 2 4 4 3 4 5 5 5 4 5.. 6 7 5 2 3 2 - 3 4 2 



E.arnston and New Hall 5 6 5 4 4 6 6 5 3 5.. 2 i 7 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 



Thornton and lirimstage - t 2 3 5 6 8 6 6 5.. 6 5 3 3 i 2 5 3 3 3 



Brombro, Eastham, Hooton - - - 2 2 3 3 3 1 3.. i 2 2 3 2 4 4 4 5 6 



Raby and W'illaston 2 i 3 2 4 4 4 4 3 2.. 4 7 4 3 6 5 6 5 4 6 



Neston and Ness i 3 i - i 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 i 3 i 



Ledsham, Stanney, and Capenhurst - 223433344.. 91011126S6799 



Beeston - 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 3 -.. 



Denbigh .. 

 Hawarden 

 Bronwylfa 

 Chirk .... 

 Malpas .. . 

 Bala 



58 71 66 62 64 65 77 76 52 53 .485449 45 41 45 4j 42 49 4 = 



