136 ROYAL ROCK DEAGLE HUNT. 



good master of foxhounds, he was indulgent to the sport of other folks, 

 from the shooting man to the humble beagler. A good idea of Sir William 

 Stanley, of his position in the county, and of his relations with his neigh- 

 bours, may be gained from an account of a dinner given in his honour, 

 recorded in the Liverpool Mail oi 23rd May, 1846, The guests at this 

 dinner included a great number of our friends the landowners of Wirral, 

 and many names of Royal Rock Eeaglers may be recognised, some of whom 

 (but, alas ! very few; are alive to this day. 



Extract from ''Liverpool Mad,'' 23rd May, 1846. 



On Saturday evening, upwards of one hundred of the gentlemen who hunt 

 with the Hooton Hounds gave a grand entertainment at the Monk's Ferry 

 Hotel to Sir William Stanley, the Master of that celebrated pack, in testimony 

 of the admiration and esteem with which they regard the worthy baronet, as a 

 gentleman, a sportsman, a landlord, and a farmer. The entertainment was of 

 the most recherche description. The view of the dinner table after the com- 

 pany was seated was of the most picturesque and novel character, a large 

 majority of the gentlemen present being clothed in the scarlet livery of the 

 chase. The chair was taken soon after seven o'clock by Hardman Earle, Esq. 

 On his right sat the honoured guest of the evening. Sir William Stanley, Bart., 

 and Messrs. Charles Stanley, Richard Ashton, H. Earle, jun., Thomas Earle, 

 and Robert Neilson. On the left were Messrs. John Stanley, J. Shaw Leigh, 

 E. Parry, Bolton Case, G. J. Wainwright, and J. S. Jackson. The vice-chairs 

 were occupied by Messrs. John Laird and D. Neilson, and among the rest of 

 the distinguished sportsmen present we observed — Messrs. G. Hargreaves, 

 J. Grindrod, W. Hancock, C. C. Tennant, J. S. Stevenson, Chambres, Eggington, 

 J. T. Raynes, Roberts, R. J. Tinley, R. Hemingway, Crackenthorp, Henry Todd 

 Naylor, Todd Naylor, H. Barton, T. A. Bushby, Anthony, J. Henderson, 

 W. Henderson, Kyrie, Harrison, Whaley, Simpson, Hill, H. Watson, J. H. Hind, 

 C. Rawson, Brancker, Steele, Cooper, Irving. Irwin, Leonnard, Parker, 

 Wenman, Grundy, H. Davis, James Rigby, T. Green, W. Pike, J. Okell, 

 C. Jones, Hill, A. Lyon, Keogh, D. Rae, H. Rae, Aikin, W. Cockerell, 

 J. Solomon, Jerome Smith, H. Williams, W. F. Williams, Worthington, Dawbarn, 

 Troughton, W. Lucas, R. Lucas, Stevenson, &c. The stewards were Colonel 

 Tatto and Messrs. M. Humble, Tinley Barton, Jos. Dawson, and William Hind; 

 and Jos. Aspinall, Esq., acted as honorary secretary. 



After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts, the Chairman rose to propose the 

 toast of the evening — the health of their esteemed guest. Sir William Massey 

 Stanlev. It was a source of the highest gratification to them to be permitted 

 on that occasion, in the manner most congenial to the habits of EngUshmen, to 

 pav their respects to Sir Wm. Stanley— (applause) — not only as a private gentle- 

 man, but to convey to him their grateful acknowledgments for ha\ing so many 

 years allowed them to enjoy the noble, invigorating, and popular sport of fox 

 hunting — (cheers) — for without the worthy baronet it would be difficult if not 

 impossible to maintain a pack of foxhounds in the Hundred of Wirral. But 

 the value of every favour was considerably enhanced by the manner in which it 

 was conferred — (hear, hear) — and every one who was in the habit of going out 

 with his hounds must have been highly gratified by the urbanity of manner, the 

 kiudness and exceeding courtesy which was always evinced by the worthy, 

 baronet. (Loud cheers.) Even on those occasions, when the zeal of some and 

 the inconsiderateness of others led them to transgress the strict rules of the 



