CHAPTER IV 



THE COTSWOLD HUNT 



In the summer of 1871 I undertook the Master- 

 ship of the Cotswold Hunt. I had long wished 

 to become a Master of Hounds, and the oppor- 

 tunity occurred in consequence of the death of 

 Mr. Cregoe Colmore, who had been Master of 

 the Cotswold since the country was formed as a 

 separate hunt in 1858. At the suggestion of the 

 second Lord Fitzhardinge (well known by his 

 nickname of ''the Giant''), who had hereditary 

 influence in that country, the Mastership of 

 the Hunt was offered to me. I went with him 

 to attend a General Meeting of the Cotswold 

 Hunt, held at the Plough Hotel, Cheltenham, 

 in June of that year, where I was unanimously 

 elected the Master. I was promised a subscrip- 

 tion of about ;£2400 a year, with an agreement 

 on my part to hunt the country three days a 

 week ; the chief subscriber was Sir Francis 

 Goldsmid, who lived at Rendcomb Park, and 

 g^ve £500 a year ; the tradesmen of Cheltenham 

 gave a similar amount, and the remainder was 



contributed by the residents and visitors in the 



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