60 iftfnss of tbe 1Rofc, IRffle, anfc Gun 



and especially falconry, on which he expended much 

 time and money. When he left Glasgow and took up 

 his residence at his father's Yorkshire estate, Thorn- 

 ville, he at once busied himself about creating a 

 sporting establishment which had not its equal in the 

 three kingdoms. His hawks and his dogs were trained 

 to perfection. He founded the famous Falconers' 

 Club which met at Barton Mills ; and there is now in 

 the possession of the Earl of Orford the magnificent 

 silver-gilt urn presented to Thornton by the members of 

 the club in recognition of his strenuous and successful 

 efforts to revive the fine old sport of hawking. 



On coming of age Thomas Thornton joined his 

 father's old regiment, the West Yorkshire Militia, of 

 which he subsequently became Colonel. 



I have said that Thornton was an excellent athlete. 

 Among his recorded exploits are the following. He 

 once, for a wager of 100, cleared his own height, 

 5 ft. 9 in., twice in succession. On another occasion 

 he cleared six five-barred gates on foot and repeated 

 the feat on horseback all within the space of six 

 minutes. He is also said to have walked four miles 

 in thirty-two minutes, but I am sceptical as to the 

 genuineness of that record. The old-time " dockers" 

 are never to be trusted, and " walking " was an elastic 

 phrase in those days, embracing any sort of "go-as- 

 you-please" style of progression. Half of Captain 

 Barclay's so-called walking exploits were of this 

 description. 



But it is more especially with Thomas Thornton's 

 prowess with rod and gun that I am here concerned, 



