THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 



45 



His Resignation 

 1811. 



thing as many experienced in Warwickshire, but it ^^■{Jni^-pQ^f^'' 

 was done in very good time, and most of the horses " 



were beaten at the finish. ^^^^T". *° ^'*- 



Corbet. 



I have now arrived at the time when I must, with a 

 certain amount of regret, take farewell of Mr. Corbet. 

 I say with regret, because in dealing with his period I 

 have had to present to my readers a' time when fox- 

 hunting was in the full enjoyment of popularity, unsullied 

 by the antagonistic elements which have since aflfected 

 it, happily, however, in Warwickshire only in a 

 minimum degree. I trust I have been successful in 

 depicting to my readers, to some extent, the happy times 

 which those who followed Mr. Corbet over Warwick- 

 shire enjoyed. 



Owing to ill-health Mr. Corbet came to the deter- 

 mination during the season 1810-11 to resign the hounds 

 of which he had been so long a successful master. His 

 last fixture was on Saturday, February 9th, 1811. He 

 advertised his hounds and most of his hunters for sale. 

 The hounds consisted of 60 couples and were all bred 

 by himself. The hunters, twelve in number, were 

 disposed of at Stratford by auction on the 28th of 

 February, 1811, realising 1,220 gs., two of them going 

 for 250 gs. apiece. Mr. Corbet was presented with a 

 very magnificent silver vase by the Warwickshire 

 sportsmen. Of his character I have already made some 

 remarks. He was peculiarly adapted to the position 

 he filled. The whole field met with the most civil and 

 obliging treatment from him, particularly the farming 

 element. It was his custom not to fix any of his 

 principal meets for Saturday, as it was Warwick 

 market on that day, and many of his yeoman followers, 

 having to attend there, would have been prevented 

 from enjoying the sport. 



Wolford Wood had for long been infested by fox- 

 catchers, who took them by means of the trap. To 

 put a stop to this Mr. Corbet found out the men 

 and agreed to give them £40 a year to discontinue 



Fox-catchers at 

 Wolford. 



