AND STIKLINGSHIRE HUNT 



Menzies and Mr Hugh Mosman, who got many a 

 sovereign and half-sovereign as well as sums of 

 smaller amount from their friends in the hunting- 

 field. By the autumn of 1889, Lord Hopetoun 

 had received the appointment of Governor of 

 Victoria. This necessitated his resignation as 

 chairman of the Hunt committee, a position which 

 he had held since the year 1880, and Colonel 

 Shairp of Houstoun was unanimously chosen as 

 his successor, while Lord Torphichen's name was 

 added to the list of members.^ A few months 

 later, Captain Cheape tendered his resignation, 

 and early in February (1890) went to America 

 on business, leaving Mrs Cheape, with the help 

 of Colonel Anstruther Thomson, to take charge 

 of aftairs until such time as hunting should come 

 to an end.^ Meantime the committee was occupied 

 with the filling up of the vacancy created by his 

 retirement, and although Mr G. F. Melville might 

 have had the honour of being master had he so 

 chosen, and Mr Usher and Mr George Younger 

 had indicated their willing'ness to come forward 

 jointly, the matter was set at rest by the com- 

 mission of the management to Mr Cross on terms 

 similar to those upon which it had first been 

 entrusted to Captain Cheape.^ But whereas 

 Captain Cheape had been owner of the pack 



^ ]\Iinute-book, vol. ii. p. 48. 



^ Ibid., p. 55, and 'Eighty Years' Reminiscences' by Colonel An- 

 struther Thomson, 1904, vol. ii. p. 255. 

 3 Minute-book, vol. ii. p. 61. 



285 



