AND STIRLINGSHIRE HUNT 



man, Christopher Scott, previously whipper-in 

 under Granger during part of his father's 

 mastership ; and to him. Knight, who seems 

 to have acted as kennel - huntsman at Duns 

 Castle throughout Mr Hay's term of office, 

 handed over thirty -three and a half couples of 

 hounds.^ 



Whether Mr Ramsay, and before him Mr Hay, 

 was the owner of the pack, it is difficult to 

 determine, for the information on the point is 

 far from satisfactory. It seems plain that the 

 hounds were sold when Mr Johnston and Mr Gillon 

 resigned their mastership in 1828, but it is not 

 clear into whose possession they pa.ssed. The 

 writer of a letter which appeared in the ' Sporting 

 Magazine ' ^ at the time states, " I understand 

 that the subscribers have purchased the hounds," 

 while Knight, in a formal declaration ^ which he 

 made in 1866 in regard to several matters relating 

 to the Hunt, affirms that "Lord Hopetoun, in 1828, 

 bought the hounds from Mr Johnston for three 

 hundred pounds or guineas. I think the hounds 

 and horses had been paid for by Mr Johnston — 

 at least all the horses that were unsold were 

 left at Champfleurie when I went to Duns Castle. 

 This, however, may have been by private arrange- 

 ment between Mr Johnston and Mr Gillon. I 

 understand that Lord Hopetoun offi^red the 



1 Declaration by George Knight : Vide Appendix IV. 



2 ' Sporting Magazine,' April 1828. 



3 Declaration by George Knight, supra. 



105 



