36 Recollections of the Vine Hunt. 



asserting that right. I well remember the disturbance 

 which this caused amongst Mr. Chute's friends. The 

 claim, however, was strenuously resisted by the owners 

 of the woods at Manydown and Oakley Hall, and I 

 do not believe that it was ever revived. 



Mr. Chute's immediate predecessor in all, or* nearly 

 all this country, was Mr. Sclater Mathew, an uncle 

 of Mr. Sclater of Hoddington House, who kept a pack 

 of foxhounds at Tangier Park. He lived to the year 

 1809, but had left off hunting many years before. I 

 can just remember him, and also his old huntsman, 

 John Adams, who remained as a sort of pensioner on 

 the family, and practised as a farrier and cow doctor, 

 whenever he was sober enough to exercise his calling. 

 There is a story that, on one occasion, when he was 

 especially drunk, he cut off a cow's tail at Oakley 

 Hall, and sent it into the house on a plate, declaring 

 that it would serve for Squire Bramston's dinner. 



The country from Freefolk wood up to the road 

 from Dean Gate to Popham Lane, seems to have been 

 formerly separate from the rest of the present Vine 

 country. As such it was once held by Mr. Powlett, 

 though I am unable to say positively with what other 

 country he united it, or exactly when he ceased to 

 hunt it. However, my business is only to ascertain Mr. 

 Chute's immediate predecessor, and it is certain that, 

 quite at the beginning of the century, if not earlier, it 

 was held by Mr. Poyntz, who united it with the Pole's 

 wood country, the Kingsclere and Wolverton wood- 

 lands, Wasing, and Aldermaston. He hunted also 



* I say nearly all, because I am not certain whether Mr. 

 Sclater Mathew hunted as far towards the Kennet and the 

 Loddon as Mr, Chute did. 



