182 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



the nature of the country is particularly calculated to 

 facilitate the manoeuvres of aspiring characters, much of 

 the land being very light and the fences moderate with 

 an infinity of roads. It was not an unusual event as 

 soon as a fox was found — ay, before he had broken 

 covert — to see horsemen spread in all directions, spec- 

 ulating as to the line the fox would take. Under any 

 circumstances such conduct is exceedingly provoking, 

 and in a bad-scenting country certain to destroy all 

 prospects of a run. Withal, Mr. Boycott was- a kind- 

 hearted, good-natured man, and conciliatory with the 

 farmers. A circumstance illustrative of this is worthy 

 of being introduced. Close to a covert called Lightwood 

 was a field of wheat over which on a previous occasion 

 the whipper-in had ridden for the purpose of viewing 

 the fox away. The farmer, unnecessarily annoyed at 

 this, came to the place of meeting and made a com- 

 plaint. "Ah," said Mr. Boycott, "I have heard all 

 about it, I turned him away;" and the farmer looking 

 at the two whippers-in who were with the hounds, and 

 not being able to recognise the offender, was perfectly 

 satisfied. It happened that the whipper-in who had 

 ridden over the wheat had met with an accident, and 

 his place was supplied for the day by the kennel-man, 

 which enabled Mr. Boycott to satisfy the complaining 

 farmer. 



After serving a short apprenticeship Mr. Boycott sold 

 his pack to Captain Freeman and resigned. In 1831 

 the management of the hounds was undertaken by 

 Mr. Walter Gifford of Chillington, when kennels were 

 built at Albrighton, from which circumstance the name 

 of the hunt originated. John Beardshaw, who had 

 been hunting Mr. Shaw's hounds and was previously 

 in the service of Mr. Foljambe, was engaged as hunts- 

 man, and John Pugh as whipper-in. 



The hounds at Albrighton were unfortunately very 

 unhealthy, and that serious malady kennel lameness 

 made its appearance most extensively. The disorder 

 was attributed, and no doubt justly, to the situation. 



