A HISTORY OF DORSET 



In I goo the Rev. E. A. Milne of Chilfrome 

 came to the hunt as master. He has remained 

 with them up to the present, taking in 1906 

 into joint partnership as master Mr. Wilh'am 

 Fleetwood Fuller, late master of the North 

 Bucks Harriers, with which pack Mr. Milne had 

 also been associated. A rare judge of horse and 

 hound, popular with all classes, ' Parson ' Milne 

 is an ideal master. His own huntsman, he is 

 known as the ' fox killer,' a sobriquet he has 

 well earned, for no man can hunt a fox from 

 find to kill better. For some years Newman 

 was his first whip, and Levi Sheppard, who had 

 been huntsman to Mr. Fred Radclyffe at Hyde, 

 was kennel man. The present kennel huntsman 

 and first whip, who was for some time huntsman 

 to the Holderness, is Medcalf, a bold rider, a good 

 man in kennel, and a first-class whip. 



In breeding his hounds Mr. Milne has been 

 chiefly to Lord Rothschild's and the Belvoir, and 

 he has got together a fine lot of hounds, with 

 bone, size, and quality. Whipster by Woldsman 

 — Lively, one of the hounds bought at Lord 

 Poltimore's record sale by Sir. A. Peyton, was 

 largely used as a stallion hound in Lord 

 Rothschild's pack, and a great deal of his blood 

 has thus got back again into the Cattistock kennel. 

 Sapper is perhaps the best stallion hound in the 

 home kennel, and a nice young hound coming 

 on is Deputy. There is no damage or poultry 

 fund, and the farmers scorn the idea of such a 

 thing, being all enthusiastic followers of the 

 Cattistock. In 1903 the master and Lord 

 Digby decided to give as a compliment to the 

 best yeomen farmers a button, limited to twenty- 

 five recipients ; it is a black one with the monogram 

 of the hunt, and needless to say it is a highly 

 prized honour. The county is a varied one, 

 with hill, vale, and big coverts, and is stiffly 

 fenced. On the whole there is very little wire, 

 and this hindrance to hunting is becoming less 

 used. Foxes are very plentiful, and there is no 

 trouble with shooting tenants. 



In the season 1906-7 90^^ brace of foxes 

 were killed and fifty-three earthed in 171 days' 

 hunting. 



A famous run was that which took place on 

 29 November, 1901, from the Artillery Barracks 

 at Dorchester. The fox was found at Hog 

 Hill, and ran round Maiden Castle Rings to 

 Monkton and then over the hill to the water- 

 works. From this point hounds ran very fast to 

 Miss Miller's covert, over the road to Came, and 

 on to Sutton Poyntz. Here they swung rather 

 to the right through Broadway to Dairy House, 

 leaving Huish on the left, and by Rodden Hill 

 nearly to Gorwell, then down the hill to Abbots- 

 burv, where they killed their fox. Distance 13- 

 mile point, two and a half hours. 



On 12 January, 1906, hounds met at 

 Langton Cross Roads and found two foxes in the 

 day, running tremendous points both times and 



losing both foxes. The first run was from the 

 Cross Roads covert and on to the coastguard 

 station, leaving VVyke on the right, to Rodden 

 and on by Langton, through Thresher's Gorse 

 to Dairy House and over the railway into the 

 Wadden Vale. Going through the Vale the 

 run continued to Ashton Gorse and by Ashton 

 Farm House to Maiden Castle Rings, over the 

 road and railway to Herringston, where the fox 

 was lost. Point 10 miles. The second fox was 

 found at the Monument, and after twisting about 

 for some time went away by Well Bottom straight 

 to Ashton Gorse and Ridgeway Hill, and 

 running all the Came coverts was lost near 

 Poxwell. Point 9 miles. 



The South Dorset'' 



The country is about 20 miles long by 

 15 wide, entirely situated in Dorset. It 

 adjoins Lord Portman's, the Blackmore Vale, and 

 the Cattistock Hunts. Heath, arable, pasture, 

 and hilly country are to be found within its 

 borders, whilst banks, timber, and flying fences 

 divide the fields. Wire is very prevalent in 

 some parts, especially near Dorchester, and there 

 has been considerable trouble in keeping up the 

 stock of foxes, owing to the letting of most of 

 the shootings ; but this is happily a matter of 

 the past, better feeling existing generally 

 between all parties. 



In 1858, when Mr. Farquharson gave up the 

 whole country, Mr. Charles RadclyfFe took up 

 this side, and Mr. Farquharson bequeathed to him 

 the distinctive white collar which is still the mark 

 of the South Dorset Hunt. In the early part 

 of the history of this hunt the hounds were 

 more generally known as Mr. RadclyfFe's, and 

 were kennelled at Hyde, the home of the 

 master. 



Mr. RadclyfFe was a very fine horsemen not 

 only over a country but ' between the flags,' and 

 his beautiful seat on a horse is well portrayed in 

 the presentation picture of him on his favourite 

 grey horse painted by Stephen Pearce. He had 

 three very good huntsmen, George Kennett, 

 Tom Davis, and Henry Beviss ; of the trio 

 perhaps the most famous was Kennett, one of 

 the very best huntsmen of his day. He had 

 been in Herefordshire with Lord GifFord and then 

 went to the V.W.H. ; from this pack he came 

 to Mr. RadclyfFe and remained many years with 

 the South Dorset. Afterwards he was with 

 Mr. Piatt, master of the North Herefordshire, 

 then with Lord Fitzwilliam, and ended his 

 hunting career with the Fife. On 16 March, 



'Masters of the South Dorset : 1 85 8-1 907 : — 



Mr. C. RadclyfFe 1858-82 



Mr. F. Radclyffe 1882-6 



. Mr. (afterwards Sir) Elliott Lees 1886-7 

 Mr. Fetherstonhaugh-Frampton 1887-94. 

 Mr. J. Ashton R.idcliffe . . 1894 



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