SHROPSHIRE 197 



having kept fox-hounds upwards of thh-ty years, and now just as 

 keen as ever for the sport. We looked over his kennel and stables 

 before dinner, and spent a very pleasant evening after. 



I must now restrain my pen, for I have a serious subject before 

 me, no less than an humble attempt to describe one of the most 

 celebrated sportsmen of modern days — Sir Bellingham Graham. 

 We historians are said to be either libellers or panegyrists. I must 

 endeavour to be neither the one nor the other ; but to praise a man 

 for what is deserving of praise is only a tribute due to him. 



The first time Sir Bellingham Graham appeared as a master of 

 fox-hounds was in the year 1815, when he succeeded Mr. Musters in 

 the Badsworth country, which he hunted two seasons. He then 

 took possession of the Atherstone country (now Lord Anson's) on its 

 being vacated by Mr. Osbaldeston, when that gentleman first went 

 to Quorn, and he hunted it three seasons. In 1820 he succeeded 

 that gallant sportsman. Sir Charles Knightley, in Northamptonshire 

 (the Pytchley) ; and in December, 1821, on Mr. Osbaldeston's 

 declining Leicestershire, Sir Bellingham took to it, and hunted it the 

 remainder of that and the next season. In 1823 he hunted the 

 country Mr. Boycott now has. In 1824 he hunted Mr. Boycott's 

 country and the Shropshire : and since the end of that season he has 

 had Shropshire alone. 



The following is a little history of Sir Bellingham Graham's 

 kennel. Upon his leaving the Pytchley country, where he was 

 succeeded by Mr. Musters, his hounds were divided between them, 

 by drawing alternate couples. On his going to Quorn, he purchased 

 from Mr. Osbaldeston, together with the house and eighteen horses, 

 all that gentleman's hounds, excepting twenty-five couples which he 

 reserved for himself. On the other hand, when Mr. Osbaldeston 

 took to Leicestershire again — on Sir Belhngham's resigning it — Sir 

 Belhngham reserved the same number of hounds (only twenty-five 

 couples), which Mr. Osbaldeston afterwards purchased of him for 

 eleven hundred pounds. Here, then, have we run this sporting 

 Baronet to ground, for we have him (and, if I know the man, we 

 had better kill him at once than leave him there) ^oithout a hound in 

 his kennel. A lucky card, however, turned up. Mr. Osbaldeston 

 found himself in possession of so large a body of hounds, that 



