SPORT IN 1844. 167 



through the Ednaston coverts, and went at a fast pace over some deep and 

 boggy ground below Birch House, crossing two brooks, the second of them 

 a poser to many of the field. The pace soon became very severe, and they ran 

 by Mansel Park to the Intack Chapel, bearing to the right up the steep hill 

 by Ravensdale Gorse, and came to a check gf some duration near the Lilies. The 

 field had now an opportunity of getting up, the thirty-nine minutes to the check 

 having reduced it to a very select few. Some slow and difficult hunting now 

 took place, displaying to great advantage the science of the men and the staunch- 

 ness of the hounds, and many of the field left, quite satisfied with what had been 

 done. The fox broke away from Handley Wood ; the pace again became good, 

 and he took a wide circle towards Wirksworth, over Alderwasley, and on by 

 Quorn Common to Mackworth, where he turned short back, and was run into 

 in the most brilliant manner at Kedleston, after a chase of three hours and forty- 

 two minutes. The distance ran over has been computed at not less than thirty- 

 five miles. The hounds had about twenty weary miles to travel home to their 

 kennel, and did not arrive till near nine o'clock. — January 17, 1844. 



This is probably the run of which Mr. Walter Bodeu 

 has often talked to the writer, while hounds were drawing 

 the oak coppice at Ednaston, from whence he said he had 

 heard there was such a run, before his time. Hounds 

 went, he had been told, round by Crich Tower and back to 

 Kedleston — which would be something like the line 

 mentioned above — but ran clean away from every one, and 

 were not seen again except by some sportsmen who were 

 returning home by Kedleston. These may have been the 

 ones, who, according to the account in BelVs Life, left 

 hounds between the Lilies and Handley Wood. 



Bells Life, January 25th, 1844: — 



On Monday, January 15, notwithstanding the frost, this crack pack had a 

 very pretty day's sport in the woodlands. The meet was at Hoar Cross, 

 and they had very pretty scurries with four foxes, killing one in good style. 



Though possessing no very remarkable features, it was altogether a very 

 pretty hunting day, and displayed the quality of the hounds in a most satisfactory 

 manner. 



On Thursday, the 18th, Sudbury ; the ancient seat of Lord Vernon, but at 

 present occupied by Henry Clay, Esq., a wealthy banker. The young master, 

 Squire Hugo, was absent on a journey, and Joe Leedham, the huntsman, was 

 confined to bed with the prevailing influenza, or as it is more commonly called 

 here, " this complaint which goes about." The field was, however, a very large 

 one, many of the Derby and some few of the Leicestershire men being out. 

 Mr. Clay, hke a good brother sportsman, had a capital spread for those 

 who wanted luncheon, but, alas! all the coverts were drawn blank — a very 

 unusual circumstance at Sudbury. We then trotted on to Eaton Woods, to be 

 again disappointed. The scarcity of foxes, and the inattention to their preserva- 

 tion by some owners of covers in this country, is, with so excellent a pack, and so 



