tTbc Earl of Stamford <.o.; 



in one September day H foal which no one but Sir 

 Richard Sutton had then surpassed. 



What Lord Stamford's best bag of grou own 



gun was I have not been able to discover, but it is on 

 record that he killed 282 brace in three consecutive days 

 on his own moors at Ashton-under-Lymc. 



The whole of that town, by the way, belonged t< 

 lordship, and there is a good story told of the seventh 

 Earl's grandfather in this connection. The old Earl had 

 acquired the whole of Ashton-under-Lyme with the 

 exception of one cottage, occupied by a Quaker, who 

 owned the freehold. Overtures were made to the 

 Quaker to sell he was told that he might ask any 

 sum in reason and it would be paid. But sturdy 

 old Master Broadbrim refused all offers. The Earl 

 was piqued by this resistance, and went down himself 

 to see the stubborn freeholder. He offered to cover 

 every floor of the house with sovereigns if the Quaker 

 would sell. But the latter only smiled, shook his 

 head, and said, ' No, George ; thou canst not have it. 

 Ashton-under-Lyme belongs to me and tfue ; so 

 long as it's that way thou and I are equal, and I 

 wouldn't have it otherwise." But on the death of the 

 sturdy, independent old Quaker, who loved to boast 

 that he and the Earl of Stamford owned Ashton-under- 

 Lyme between them, his lordship found his heir more 

 complaisant, the freehold was purchased, and " George " 

 was absolute monarch of the town. 



With the rifle the seventh Earl was not less deadly 

 than with the gun. His unerring eye and great powers 

 of endurance made him one of the most successful 



