FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 83 



the extent of the present day ; that method of 

 barbarism, barbed wire, was actually unknown ; 

 countries were not gridironed by railways; and 

 the enormous crowds which are nowadays to be 

 found in any fashionable hunt, had then scarcely 

 commenced to show themselves to the extent 

 existing at the present time. 



After the Squire's death in 1858 his widow 

 presented the hounds to a Hunt Committee, with 

 the 2nd Marquis of Ailesbury as the fountain- 

 head. They carried on matters until he died in 

 1878, when there was some difficulty about the 

 Hunt affairs, with the result that the Mastership 

 was offered to me and I took over the country 

 in 1879. ^^ ^he same time I took a three years' 

 lease of Netheravon House from Sir Michael 

 Hicks-Beach, M.P., a very attractive place, with 

 excellent trout-fishing in the river Avon, which 

 ran under the windows. 



The kennels were in Tedworth Park, not far 

 from Tedworth House, which stands exactly on 

 the boundary-line between Hampshire and Wilt- 

 shire. I found about fifty couples there, and 

 the doghounds were rather on the large side. 

 Jack Fricker was the huntsman, and had been at 

 Tedworth all his life. The two whippers-in were 

 John Bevan and Jack Thatcher. I engaged them 

 all, and took over everything as it stood except 



