126 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



caused his Grace to take up his temporary winter abode 

 at Chapel House ; but that was only during part of one 

 season, and in the spring of 1835 the noble duke, in 

 consequence of ill health, signified his intention of 

 relinquishing the Heythrop country. Some difficulty 

 was at first experienced in finding a successor ; but at 

 length a committee was formed and subscriptions 

 entered into, when Mr. Langston of Sarsdon undertook 

 the active management, supported by Lord Redesdale 

 and Mr. Mostyn. Jem Hills, who had been first whip 

 to the late Lord Ducie, then the Honourable Henry 

 Moreton, was engaged as huntsman ; Edward Bullen, 

 from the Duke of Beaufort's, as first and John Goddard 

 as second whipper-in. 



Thus was the Heythrop established as a distinct 

 country ; and the result speaks incontestibly for the 

 increased favour in which fox-hunting is held at the 

 present period. Previously to the time when the Duke 

 of Beaufort relinquished it, it was supposed that 

 neither of his Grace's countries, individually, was sufii- 

 ciently extensive, or that the foxes were sufficiently 

 numerous, to afford three days a week throughout the 

 season ; they now each of them admit of four days in 

 the week, and are abundantly stocked with foxes. In 

 point of fact the number of hunting days is doubled. A 

 line drawn from east to west, commencing at 

 Deddington and ending at Moreton-in-the-Marsh, de- 

 fines the northern boundary ; there are only two places 

 of meeting south of Witney, which are Westwell Village 

 and Tar Wood, and the latter is neutral with the 

 Berkshire. North Aston, Hopcrofts Holt, Sturdys 

 Castle, and Begbrook, are on the eastern extremity ; 

 New Barn, Cold Aston, and Eyeford, are on the western. 

 These are the extreme places of meeting, although 

 there are coverts which they draw beyond those 

 boundaries. The length of the country from east to 

 west as the crow flies does not much exceed twenty 

 miles, and the width from north to south is little more 

 than fifteen. It is surrounded by Earl Fitzhardinge's, 



