i6 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



world, but amongst those who are conversant with all 

 the ins and outs of hunting precedence perhaps master- 

 ship of the Quorn is most highly estimated. Amongst 

 those who hunt in the Shires it is, probably, a question 

 of individual opinion, however, and whilst the North- 

 amptonshire folk consider the Pytchley to be the 

 premier pack with the best country, Leicestershire people 

 will, naturally enough, incline to Quorn or Cottesmore. 



The Warwickshire dates from the commencement of 

 Mr. Corbet's mastership in 1791, and the North War- 

 wickshire from the advent of Mr. Robert Vyner (author 

 of Notitia Venaticd) in 1838. The Atherstone, which 

 lies to the west of the Quorn, was commenced in 1804, 

 and has always been a subscription pack, and the 

 Meynell was established in 1816 by Mr. Hugo Charles 

 Meynell, and was in the hands of the founder and his 

 son until 1872, since when there have been half a 

 dozen masters. Much of the Bicester was originally a 

 part of the Warwickshire in Mr. Warde's time, but in 

 1829 Mr. Drake formed the present country, and the 

 Drake family have been much connected not only with 

 this country but with the Old Berkeley, while the present 

 head of the family, Mr. W. Tyrwhitt Drake, is master 

 of the Old Berkshire. The adjoining Whaddon Chase 

 is a family hunt, the mastership of which has been held 

 by various members of the Selby-Lowndes family since 

 before 1800, but the country was originally a part of 

 the Grafton, another of the old family packs, which 

 was a private affair owned by the Dukes of Grafton for 

 some generations prior to 1842, but which has since 

 been a subscription pack. 



The Heythrop country was originally hunted by the 

 Dukes of Beaufort, who owned Heythrop House, and 

 spent part of the season there. In 1835 there was a 



