180 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



has been trained to it." This might have been, as Mr. 

 Pinches supposed, the best hound in England ; but it 

 was certainly a very extraordinary way of obtaining 

 his services. Like Mr. Jones's hounds, they had long 

 runs and killed their foxes after the fashion of olden 

 times, and their performances gratified those who were 

 in the habit of hunting with them. So that they were 

 pleased, it would be uncourteous to compare them with 

 modern packs. Their kind-hearted, good-tempered 

 master died a few years since in the prime of life, and 

 the hounds having passed into the hands of Mr. Luther 

 still continue to hunt a rough countr^^ near Bishop's 

 Castle and in Clun Forest. 



We will now turn to the Albrighton country, which 

 comprises a portion of Shropshire, a part of Stafford- 

 shire, and a few coverts in Worcestershire. This 

 country was very irregularly hunted till the year 

 1825. As I have previously stated, the late Mr. George 

 Forester of Willey hunted a part of it. The late Earl 

 of Stamford and Warrington also hunted it with a very 

 magnificent establishment ; at least such is the tradition 

 of some of the ' oldest inhabitants;' but I believe, his 

 lordship took his hounds occasionally to his estate at 

 Grooby, in Leicestershire, so that a part of the season 

 the Shropshire and Staffordshire sportsmen were with- 

 out hounds, an inconvenience very prevalent in those 

 times. When the earl gave up. Sir Richard Pulestone 

 occasionally hunted the Shropshire side, which was 

 then called the Shiffnal country, and Colonel Newnham 

 drew the covert on the Worcestershire borders when it 

 suited his convenience. 



When Colonel Newnham gave up his hounds in Wor- 

 cestershire Mr. Hornyhold succeeded, and hunted this 

 country occasionally, his hounds lying at the Stew 

 Poney Kennels. Kit Atkinson was the huntsman, John 

 King, first whip, and Joseph Maiden, second. With 

 these hounds I saw one of the most severe days of 

 which I have any recollection. It was on the 9th of 

 January, 1822. They found in Pudsey's Gorse at five 



