AND STIRLINGSHIRE HUNT 



mastership, the hounds met as far to the north- 

 west as Sauchie and Bannockburn, and as far 

 to the south-east as Barnton and Corstorphine. 

 But, then as now, the best sport was got in 

 Linlithgowshire, for the Stirlingshire side of the 

 country was somewhat short of foxes, and a 

 blank day was not unknown. 



Simultaneously with Colonel Gillon's acceptance 

 of the mastership, a committee was appointed to 

 buy as many of Mr Ramsay's hounds as would 

 enable hunting to be prosecuted during the follow- 

 ing season ; ^ but when the purchase came to be 

 made, it was effected by Colonel Gillon in his own 

 name, and the pack remained his private property 

 throughout his term of office. In acknowledging 

 him to be the proprietor of the hounds, as they 

 did, the Hunt committee proceeded with some 

 care and forethought, and they caused it to be 

 recorded in their minutes that, in doing so, they 

 guarded themselves against giving to him any per- 

 sonal right to the country, " considering that country 

 belongs in equity to whatever pack of hounds may 

 be regularly hunted with the sanction and approval 

 of the proprietors and others to whom the country 

 belongs." ^ But this caution on the part of the 

 committee, although commendable, proved to be 

 unnecessary, and it would have been strange indeed 

 if Colonel Gillon, who had been so devoted a 



1 'Edinburgh Evening Courant,' 16th February 1866. 



2 Minute of Meeting of the Committee, 5th December 1866, among 

 Hunt papers in the custody of ^les.srs Glen & Henderson, Linhthgow. 



191 



