220 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [18G3 



capital sport. On January 10th tliey ran from Spencer's 

 Plantation, by Blithfield Rectory, across the Rugeley road, 

 for Nicholl's Pit, by Stephen's Hill across Rugeley road 

 again, through Blitheford to Yate (? Blithmoor to Yeatsall), 

 turned to the left, through the Warren coverts and across 

 the Warren for Bagot's Woods ; through Lord's Coppice, 

 to Mr. Charles's of the Moor, then to the left to Harts' 

 Coppice, to Daisy Bank, turned to the right to Field 

 House Coppice, and on to Bacon Bank, when it became 

 too dark to persevere and the hounds were stopped. 



This was a nice hunt, but there was a far better one 

 to come. On February 8th, 1863, when hounds came to 

 Radburne on a foggy morning, there was a tremendous 

 gathering, people coming from the Quorn, the Ather- 

 stone, the North Staffordshire, and even more distant 

 quarters. 



Amongst many others there were present Lords 

 Chesterfield, Bagot, and Stanhope, Hon. E. Coke, two 

 Mr. Wilmots, Mr. Davenport, Mr. Michael Bass, M.P., 

 Messrs. Clowes, Moore, junr., two FitzHerberts, James 

 Holden, and, of course, many others, up to the number of 

 two hundred or more. Mr. Hugo Meynell Ingram was 

 not well enough to be out. They found at the Rough, 

 and away they went as hard as they could drive for 

 Langley. There was a crush at the gateway out of the 

 park, and hounds got a start which they maintained for 

 some time. 



Before they got to Brailsford, the leading men, of 

 whom Mr. Beresford FitzHerbert was about the first, 

 caught them. It was generally allowed that the last- 

 named gentleman had pretty well the best of it till 

 nearly the end, though his brother, now Sir Richard, the 

 Honourable E. Coke, Mr, Walter Boden, Mr. Davenport, 

 Mr. Clowes, and Mr. James Holden all had their turn. 

 Away hounds streamed for Longford, and straight by 

 Sutton, where the fox evidently wanted to get back to 

 Radburne ; but they pressed him too hard, and he kept 

 on by Etwall, where Charles saw a fresh fox jump up, the 



