vi Sir BicJiard Pules tone. 



foxes when they came across them. Sir Eichard 

 Pulestone, however, deserves more than passing mention, 

 as he v^as one of the pioneers of hunting in Shropshire. 

 In fact, in many ways, he was an accomphshed sports- 

 man, and a good judge of hounds, which he hunted 

 himself — a fair horseman, andhighly respected throughout 

 a large district. So celebrated was he for hounds, that 

 the Duke of Cleveland bought drafts from him. His 

 " Dromo " blood knew few superiors in those days. The 

 old hound's tomb at Emral bore the inscription : — 



Alas, poor Dromo. 

 Reynanl with dread, oft heard his awful name. 



Sir Eichard bred his own hunters, and Sir Watkin 

 planted several good gorse coverts for him. His chief 

 servants were Jack Bartlett — the quickest whip of his 

 day — Ned Bates, who was his huntsman, when he 

 himself gave up the horn ; and last, though not least, 

 Tom Crane, who from a groom, became huntsman of the 

 Fife hounds. He also hunted the Duke of Wellington's 

 pack in the Peninsular War, and was said to have 

 ridden straisfht amonsj the enemies' bullets sooner than 

 stop his hounds. Sir Eichard Pulestone held a sort of 

 moveable feast, hunting the present Albrighton, or as it 

 was then called the Shifnal country, as well as his own. 

 It was at Chillington he made the memorable offer to 

 Ned Bates — " A guinea for old Caesar." This being the 

 nick-name of an old fox that had beaten his hounds times 

 out of mind, and the reward was never claimed. Curiously 

 enough Sir Richard Pulestone, like the late Mr. Wicksted, 

 finished his hunting career by keeping harriers. 



The late Sir Watkin, as we know, was the first owner of 



