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CHAPTER IV. 



ROWLAND HUNT AND HIS SUCCESSORS. 



The year 1876 was as full of surprises as any that the E.C.H. 

 has ever seen. It was a year of changes, one might almost say 

 o^ revolution. For ten years the hunt had struggled on since 

 the amalgamation with no very marked improvement in the sport. 

 The pack belonged to various boys. It consisted of hounds of 

 all sizes and shapes. Many things were crying out for reform. 



The year did not open with any great promise. None of 

 the whips of the previous season remained to hunt the hounds, 

 and so the office of Master devolved on Rowland Hunt, whose chief 

 qualification was that he was an amazingly good runner. He had 

 never once whipped-in the year before, and is not even mentioned 

 in the Journal Book previous to 1876. But directly the season 

 began, he astonished everyone by the talent and knowledge he 

 displayed. Not only did he prove the most successful huntsman 

 the E.C.H. had ever possessed, but he showed himself to be an 

 organiser of the highest degree. No sooner had he taken over 

 the Mastership than he realised that the hounds were disgracefully 

 kennelled, and that Ward, the kennelman, was making a great 

 deal too much money out of them. He obtained leave from the 

 Head Master to have the hounds removed to kennels at the back 

 of a Turkish Bath in the town. Here he made an arrangement 

 with William Lock, who kept the Turkish Bath. But it is 

 better given in his own words : 



'' It has been arranged that Lock is to receive £53, for which 

 he is to keep 15 couples of Beagles and do everything for them, 

 in the way of feeding, straw, coal, etc., and that if the Master 

 wishes they should be taken a week before the beginning of 

 the Half to get them in condition. For this £53 Lock's boy 

 takes the Beagles to the meet and takes them back, etc." 



At the end he says : 



" I have found Lock to be a thoroughly steady, honest man, 

 and I think he can be tructed in anything." 



I have mentioned Hunt's dealings with Lock, first partly 

 because Lock entwines himself in the history of the pack from 



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