64 



THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 



Mr. Shirley. 

 1821-1825. 



A run from Alve 

 ston. 



Mr. Cockbill. 



went straight on past the town to Middleton Cheney, 

 where he was killed. This stout old fox took them, 

 all points considered, a journey of some seventeen 

 miles and provided a capital thing of two hours and 

 forty minutes. Mr. Shirley, Mr. Napier, Mr. John 

 Lockley and Mr. Cockbill, jun., on his little brown 

 mare, had the best of the fun. 



On the twenty-first day of the next month, 

 Mr. Shirley met his followers at Alveston Pastures 

 and gave them the bit of work which 1 

 have selected as my third specimen of the sport 

 of his time. A fine dog fox broke, and took a 

 good line across country, his first point being 

 Charlecote Park. From here a good bit of running 

 ensued until Leamington was reached, where he was 

 headed. He then sprang forward at his best pace, 

 dashed through the Avon, made for Leek Wootton, and 

 was finally killed on the turnpike road. It was a 

 hardly contested chase of some two hours and twelve 

 minutes, and the ground covered must have represented 

 a distance closely approaching thirty miles, as he was 

 headed several times. But very few were in at the 

 death, and the whole of the horses were more or less 

 distressed by the severity of the pace. When the 

 hounds crossed the Avon, the only gentlemen who 

 followed to the bank of the river were Captain Russell, 

 Mr. H. Wyatt, Mr. Napier, Mr. W. Pickering, Mr. 

 F. Holland, and Mr. Smith of Evesham, with Jack 

 Wood, the huntsman. These crossed at Guy's Cliff 

 Mill and were in at the death. 



One who figured conspicuously in Mr. Shirley's runs, 

 and those of his predecessors and immediate successors, 

 was Mr. Cockbill. He attended Warwickshire meets 

 for full thirty years. He was a very heavy weight, 

 but a good sportsman, having an uncommonly good eye 

 to hounds and generally a relay of good mounts. He 

 was a strong horseman, but, as a rule, rode with a 

 martingale to his bridle. "Don't talk to me," he 



