THE LAXDLORDS. 141 



XTbe Ikino^t ot JBcbu\c\ton au^ Moo^cbiuxb. 



" Now, fellows, you are welcome." 



Til mill « of tin Shmv, liuiuctii'ii, scene i. 



George King, the father, and the Rev. Joshua King, the uncle, of our 

 old Master, V. A. King, owned a considerable amount of land at Higher 

 Ikbington, which afforded many a good day's sport in the old days, and still 

 does so for an occasional Wednesday meet. Lolh these landlords were very 

 friendly to the R.R.B., and many allusions to the hospitality of the Rector 

 are made in tlie Sport 15ooks. \\'henever the meet was at Woodchurch, 

 which was pretty often during the season, it appears to have been the custom 

 to go into the Rectory for lunch. Here is a sample of the records — 



October 2nd, 1S47. Woodchurch. Partook once more of Rector Kinjij's 

 kind hospitality, which he has so often displayed towards the members of the 

 R.R.B. About twenty-five members sat down to an excellent lunch. After 

 drinkinj:; success and health to V. A. King, now in Bombay, we turned off on to 

 the Rector's land, &c., Sec. 



Though the Rector was so fond of the beagles, he was, for some now 

 unknown reason, " death on fox-hunting."' Tinley Barton says of him, that 

 when Sir Wm. Stanley was expected to pass with his hounds, the Rector took 

 care to have a dead fox nailed upon his gateway. He was more than sus- 

 pected of shooting foxes ; so much so that on one occasion some of the 

 younger follort'ers of the foxhounds '• Ijurnt him in effigy," as a fifth of 

 November sport. It is to be hoped that no beaglers attended at this 

 ceremonv. 



TRcw 1R, /lib. jfcilDcn, of JiScbinoton. 



" All things thnt are. 

 Are with more spirit chased than enjoyed." 



Mercliatit of I'cnicc, act it, scene 6. 



This good si)ortsman enjoys the distinction of being the first landlord 

 approached by the promoters of the R.R.B. for permission to hunt over his 

 l)ro[)erty. The morning after the preliminary meeting of the subscribers to 

 the Hunt, he was Avaited upon by C. Rawson and J. T. Raynes, when he 

 " readily granted them permission to sport over his estate with their beagles." 



The first official meet of the pack was fixed for 7th October, 1845, at 

 Bebington Church. In those days there were two fox covers on his estate, 

 and a good hunting country in the immediate neighbourhood. Even now, 

 though the district has been much cut u[) for building purposes, and the 

 population is enormously increased, hares are to be found within a short 

 distance of Bebington Church ; the hounds have always been kennelled 

 within a mile of the church, and the first two huntsmen of the R.R.I], were 

 buried in Bebington churchyard. 



