A HISTORY OF DORSET 



the right across Fordington Field, leaving the Wey- 

 mouth ro.id on the left, to where the South Western 

 station now is, down into the water-meadows again to 

 Stanton's factor)-, on to Goud's Mill, still on up the 

 meadows near Stafford, when Treadwell saw an old 

 hound hit the scent into a narrow hedge-row, with a 

 brook on the other side ; the rest of the hounds 

 were outside. Treadwell cheered on the hounds as 

 Druid gave his deep note till we got to the end of the 

 hedge-row, where the fox and this single hound went 

 into the brook together. Treadwell jumped off his 

 horse, went into the water up to his neck, took the fox 

 away from the single hound, and the pack ate him up 

 as stiff" as a stake. 



As a proof of the great popularity of Mr. Far- 

 quharson,^ no less a sum than ;^I,I50 was raised 

 in 1827 to present him with a testimonial. 

 Again at the end of fifty years' mastership j^ 1,800 

 was collected and a magnificent pair of silver 

 candelabra, together with a portrait by Sir Francis 

 Grant of himself on his favourite horse Botanist, 

 were presented to him. Mr. Farquharson 

 died at Langton in 1 871 in his eighty-seventh 

 year. 



Blackmore Vale Hounds 



The old history of the Blackmore Vale Hounds' 

 is rather involved, but owing to the kindness of 

 Lady Theodora Guest the following particulars 

 have been obtained. Mr. Farquharson's country 

 being far too large for any pack to hunt properly, 

 one or two irregular packs of hounds sprang up. 

 In 1826 the Rev. Harry Farr Yeatman of Stock 

 Gaylard started a pack of hounds, with which 

 he hunted chiefly hare, and occasionally fox and 

 roedeer. He bought his hounds of Mr. Templar, 

 a Devonshire friend, and hunted the Stock covers 

 and a great part of Somersetshire. Mr. Hall, 

 who lived at Holbrook House near Wincanton, 

 was master in 1834 ; Mr. Portman of Bryanston, 

 Blandford (afterwards first Viscount Portman), 

 hunted a portion of the country by arrangement 

 with Mr. Hall, from 1831 to 1840. 



Hunted 2,787 days, and killed 2,678 foxes, and earthed 

 624, thus accounting for 3,302 foxes; after deducting 

 1 2 blank days, this accounts for 5 1 5 more foxes than 

 days the hounds found. 



Meantime, Mr. Drax of Charborough Park 

 near Wimborne,and Holnest Park near Sherborne, 

 started a pack of foxhounds in 1833 '^ hunt his 

 own property, and in 1840, having bought 

 Mr. Portman's hounds, he became master of the 

 whole Blackmore Vale country. In 1853 

 Mr. Drax sold his hounds to Mr. G. Whieldon 

 of Wyke Hall near Gillingham. 



That the Blackmore Vale country was regularly 

 hunted by Mr. Hall in 1834 is proved by a 

 printed copy of a meeting, a very interesting 

 document still in existence, of which the sub- 

 joined is a copy : — 



At a meeting of the 

 Friends of Mr. Hall's Hunt, 

 Holden at Sparkford Inn, 

 on the 20th September, 1834, 

 Present — H. F. Yeatman, Chairman. 

 J. Lee Lee, M.P. W. C. Medlycott W. F. Knatchbull 

 J. Goodden J. H. Wyndham R. C. Tudway 



J. N. Quantock Jas. Bennett J. T. Tatchell 



A. Tooke Robt. Leach Thos. Cave 



G. Midlane Sealy Bridge R. Leach 



J. Andrews 

 Resolved unanimously ' that it is expedient that a sum 

 of money be raised by subscription for the purpose of 

 earth stopping and the preservation of foxes in the 

 consolidated Vale Country, hunted by Henry Hall, 

 Esq. ; the said sum of money being to be raised in 

 pursuance of a resolution passed at a meeting of the 

 Blackmoor Vale Hunt assembled at the Henstridge Ash 

 Inn, in the month of January', 1834.' 



That subscriptions for the above purpose be received 

 (post paid) at the ban k of the Messrs. Messi ter and Co. ; 

 and that Henry Messiter, Esq. be requested to accept 

 the office of treasurer to the consolidated Vale Hunt : 

 such subscriptions being to be considered as due on 

 ihe first day of October in each year. 



That the undersigned persons be named as a Com- 

 mittee to carry the above resolution into effect, and to 



'The list of successive masters and huntsmen is as 

 follows : — 



Masters 



J. S. W. Sawbridge- 



Erle-Drax 

 G. Whieldon . . ^ 

 Capt. Stanley . . V 

 Viscount Dungarvanj 

 Lord Harry Thynne 

 R. Strachey . . . . 

 Capt. Stanley . 

 G. D. Wingfield- 

 Digby of Sher- 

 borne Castle 

 Sir R. G. Glyn, bart. 

 of Gaunts House, 

 Wimborne 



Merthyr Guest of 

 Inwood 



John Hargreaves 

 Col. Percy Browne,C. B 



1833-53 



Huntsmen 

 . . J. Last 



1853-5 



/H. H 



(J.Mit 



oney 

 Mitchell 



. . W. Stansby 

 .... Webb 

 . J. Dinnicombe 

 1858-63 . Turner 

 1863-4 • Wilson 

 1863-76 John Press 



1876-85 G.Orbell 



1885-6. . Haines 



1886-90 G. Brown 



1890 . . C. Fox 



1895 . W. Spiller 



G. Alcock, 



kennel huntsmaa 



G. Alcock 



304 



