104 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1813 



CHAPTER IX. 



SQUIRE OSBALDESTON — CONTEMPORARY OPINION — A KEDLES- 

 TON DAY — RADBURNE. 



1813-1826. 



In the seasons preceding Mr. Meynell's start in fox- 

 hunting on his own account, he went out with the Sud- 

 bury hounds in 1813-14, and 1815. 



The first mention of them is their meeting at Hoar 

 Cross, on November 1st, when they had a pretty fair run, 

 during great part of which there was nobody with them 

 but Mr. Meynell and a farmer. There were two curious 

 incidents. The first was, that the fox ran through a drain 

 near Abbots Bromley ; and the second was, that the fox 

 was eventually killed l^y a greyhound near Hamstall 

 Ridware. This latter does not seem to have been a very un- 

 connnon occurrence. It would seem as if there was some 

 truth in the stories of jealous riding between the wearers of 

 the Vernon orange coats and the redcoats, for Mr. Meynell 

 mentions, in several runs, that there were but one or two 

 besides himself with the hounds, and very often that 

 Thomas Leedham or some one of the Hoar Cross horses 

 went best. Like most other Masters, he is rather inclined 

 to pick holes in the neighbouring packs, and does not 

 credit the Sudbury hounds with being very steady. But 

 he does not find much fault with the pace they went, 

 especially in a brilliant twenty minutes from Sudbury 

 Coppice, when nobody but he. Captain Pole,* and William 

 Lawley were with them. 



* Probably the present sqnire's grandfather. 



