ii6 FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



Marquis of Londonderry), who was M.F.H. for 

 two seasons, with George Dodds as his huntsman ; 

 then Major Godman, formerly of the Carabiniers ; 

 then Mr. Cookson once more came to the rescue, 

 and after him Mr. W. H. A. Wharton of Skelton 

 Castle from 1884 to 1886, when he left to take 

 the hounds in Cleveland. 



For that position he was well adapted, as who 

 could be more fitting as Master of the Cleveland 

 Hunt than the Squire of Skelton Castle ; and long 

 may he continue to enjoy prosperity in that 

 office. 



In the spring of 1886 I took over the Hurworth 

 and hunted the country five days a fortnight 

 for two seasons ; I found that I required more 

 hounds, and Lord Lonsdale, who was at that 

 time hunting the Blankney country, kindly 

 let me purchase about eighteen couples of his 

 beautiful Blankney bitches ; they were of the 

 same old sort which I had always liked so much, 

 and I was very lucky to get hold of them, for 

 they helped me to show sport in the famous 

 Hurworth country. 



Will Nicoll, from the Cleveland, came as 

 Kennel Huntsman and first whip : a capital 

 fellow to go out hunting with, and he did very 

 well for me. William Rees, from the Wheatland, 

 came as second whip, but in the following season 



