14 Introduction 



Tyrwhitt retired, leaving Mr Pelhamin sole command, 

 the family of which have hunted the Brocklesby ever 

 since. The hounds of this pack have a written pedi- 

 gree for about 140 years, and that Father of English 

 fox-hunting, Mr Hugo Meynell, the first Master of the 

 Quorn Country, obtained the foundation stone, so 

 to speak, from this source, for the formation of the 

 Quorn pack — reputed to be one of the first packs 

 of Foxhounds in England,* Mr Boothby being the 

 Master from 1698 to 1753 (55 years), followed by 

 the Mastership of Mr Hugo Meynell from 1753 to 

 1800 (47 years). 



With the last named the breeding of Foxhounds 

 upon scientific principles may be said to have begun. 

 From that time [circa 1755 or 1760) onwards packs of 

 hounds sprang up in various parts of the country. 

 Colonel Thornton [circa 1804) is reputed to have had 

 a fine pack of Foxhounds, which subsequently came 

 into the hands of the sixth Lord Middleton. 



The foregoing is sufficient evidence to prove that 

 for fully 200 years the Foxhound has been exclu- 

 sively employed for hunting the fox, and that it 

 has attained its present high standard of excellence 

 through being bred upon scientific fines for genera- 

 tions, in short, since the days of the great Hugo 

 Meynell. 



* The Berkley (Lord Fitzhardinge's) is probably the most ancient 

 hunt in Great Britain, dating its foundation from 1613. 



