HISTORY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



when they visited the country. The services of 

 two whippers-in^ were secured, horses were pur- 

 chased, and before the middle of the month all was 

 in readiness for taking the field. This was effected 

 on Monday, the 14th, when, meeting at Linlithgow 

 Bridge, hounds found a fox at Tod's mill, on the 

 banks of the Avon, and killed him near Hopetoun 

 House. 



"On Monday, Feb. 14, the Linlithgow and 

 Stirlingshire Fox - hounds met for the first time 

 since the renewal of the hunting establishment, 

 under the management of those celebrated sports- 

 men, James Johnston, Esq., of Straiton, and 

 William Downe Gillon, Esq., of Wallhouse, at 

 Linlithgow Bridge. They proceeded to draw the 

 Duke of Hamilton's covert on the banks of the 

 Avon, and immediately unkennelled a fine dog 

 fox. Notwithstanding the great number of eques- 

 trians as well as pedestrians who had turned out 

 to see the hounds, reynard broke away at once 

 .in the most gallant style, close by the crowd, 

 making for Kinneil wood, near which the hounds 

 were over-rode in a lane, and came to a short 

 check. The fox ran by Bonhard, Carriden, 

 Stacks, and Blackness Castle, passing in his way 

 the beautiful grounds of Sir James Dalyell of 

 Binns, Baronet, and took to ground in a drain in 

 a wood of the Earl of Hopetoun near to Hopetoun 



^ It would seem that one of these was James Raw who came from 

 Yorkshire, and is said to have died at Linlithgow of typhus or typhoid 

 fever. 



92 



