114 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



boundaries of the Atherstone, at one period hunted 

 by Mr. Chadwicke, and subsequently by Mr. Shaw, but 

 there has not been hounds kept in it during the last 

 twenty years. This tract separates the Atherstone 

 from the Albrighton Hunt. Mr. Meynell Ingram's 

 country is on the north of the Atherstone, the Quorn 

 on the east, and Pytchley joins it on the south east in 

 the neighbourhood of Lutterworth, and the Warwick- 

 shire on the south, with which there are some neutral 

 coverts. 



Ver}^ few counties have attained greater importance 

 than Warwickshire, and, as the Quom gained its 

 primitive celebrity under Mr. Meynell, so was Mr. 

 Corbet the founder of fox-hunting renown in Warwick- 

 shire. I find that about the year 1790, and for some 

 few years previously, Mr. John Warde hunted this 

 country in conjunction with a portion of Oxfordshire 

 in the neighbourhood of Bicester, but only during a 

 part of the season. Mr. Corbet is said to have hunted 

 the country about twenty seasons, and as it is well 

 known that he gave up to Lord Middleton in 1812, the 

 period of his commencement is easily determined. 



In those days the kennels were at Stratford-on-Avon, 

 and there was a club upon an extensive scale 

 established, although both Mr. Corbet and his successor. 

 Lord Middleton, hunted the country without any sub- 

 scription. The name of Will Barrow is well known in 

 Warwickshire and Shropshire, as he was born and died 

 in the latter country, and during the whole of the time 

 Mr. Corbet hunted the former, he was the huntsman. 

 This poor fellow's end was a melancholy one ; after 

 escaping all the perils of fox-hunting he met with his 

 death in consequence of a fall with the harriers kept at 

 Sundorne by Mr. Corbet, the son of his first master. 



The Warwickshire country was originally very ex- 

 tensive, but, like all others, it has been reduced and 

 divided to suit the convenience of masters of hounds 

 and resident sportsmen. At the time Mr. Corbet occu- 

 pied it, exclusive of the principal kennels at Stratford- 



