54 Sporting and Rural Records of the Cheveley Estate. 



Stonehall in Moulton. 



Stonehall I 

 Moulton. 



The luck 



of Richard 



Moody. 



Hawking at 

 PartridMs. 



Novel 

 Hospitality. 



The manor of Stonehall hi Moulton (Suffolk) was invariably 

 held by the Crown down to the reign of Henry IV., when Edward 

 Earl of Stafford obtained a grant of it. In the reign of 

 Henry VIII., Henry fourth Earl of Derby, K.G., held a knight's 

 fee there, jure his wife, Alianore, daughter of Charles Brandon, 

 Duke of Suffolk. About his time Richard Moody, an official in 

 the mews of Henry VII., was settled there. He was made a 

 gentleman in consequence of having (presumably) saved the life or 

 prevented an accident to Arthur Prince of Wales when hawking. 

 It appears it was Moody's duty to precede the king or any member 

 of the Royal Family when they flew their hawks at partridge. 

 This branch of falconry being pursued on foot, it was his duty to 

 go on in advance of the sportsmen, armed with a leaping pole, and 

 in following the flight of the quarry he had to negotiate any 

 obstacle that lay in the way. On the occasion in question, a blind 

 fosse having been met with, he charged it, but the obstruction 

 proved so deep and wide that, instead of leaping over, he was 

 immersed and nearly drowned. The impetuosity and ardour of the 

 pursuing sportsmen, with eyes intent on hawk and partridge, was 

 arrested by Moody's mishap ; consequently they were able to avoid 

 the pitfall. For this good and faithful service Moody was made a 

 gentleman. The manor belonged to this family for several genera- 

 tions. No other sporting incidents are associated with it. In the 

 time of James I. and Charles I. George Moody was famous for his 

 great hospitality and housekeeping at Stonehall, " considering his 

 estate wanted much of ;^200 per annum." Although he is said to 

 have kept open house to all comers out of the produce of the 

 manor without incurring debts, it must be borne in mind that the 

 family were extensive woollen drapers at Bury St. Edmunds in those 

 days. Samuel Moody was returned M.P. for the borough of Bury 



