CHASE OF THE \VH.D RED DEER 9 



interest in the sport in which she was unable 

 actively to participate. 



How long the above-mentioned Hugh Pollard 

 held office under his royal mistress as ranger of 

 the forest, I cannot exacdy say. The succeeding 

 rangers of the forest continued to keep hounds 

 for the purpose of hunting the deer, and about 

 160 years ago, the pack passed into the possession 

 of Mr Walter of Stevenstone (an ancestor of the 

 late Lord Rolle) and Lord Oxford, who were 

 foresters of Exmoor under grant from the Crown. 

 Mr Dyke succeeded Lord Oxford, and kept the 

 hounds and hunted the country with great success 

 for many years. On Mr Dyke's demise, his kins- 

 man, Sir Thomas Dyke Acland (the grandfather 

 of the present Sir Thomas Dyke Acland of Killer- 

 ton, Devon), became forester or ranger of Exmoor 

 under grant from the Crown, and down to the year 

 1770, kept the staghounds and hunted the country 

 in almost princely style. 



Respected and beloved by all the countryside, he 

 was solicited at the same time to allow himself to 

 be returned as member of Parliament for the 

 counties of Devon and Somerset. He preferred, 

 however, the duties and pleasures of life in the 

 country, where 



