A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



during this period at times that foxes were 

 scarce, and there is an amusing tale told of 

 Mr. Lawson when he went south to have a 

 few days with Lord Fitzhardinge's hounds. 

 On being asked how he could leave his hounds, 

 his reply was, ' Well, you see, there are only 

 two foxes left, one called Scutty and one called 

 Snippy ; the hounds have killed Scutty and 

 Snippy wants a rest ! ' 



There are records of great runs in this 

 diary, and in the third volume there is the 

 following summary of the sport during eleven 

 seasons commencing in 1850 and ending in 

 1861: 



hunted three days a week. This joint master- 

 ship lasted for a period of nine years, Mr. 

 Howard and Colonel Wybergh acting as 

 huntsmen on alternate days. During this 

 time there were some record runs, but Mr. 

 Howard asserts that thirty years ago, when he 

 first hunted, the foxes were better than they 

 are now, but the scent not so good, and that 

 he remembers when for six weeks on end 

 scent was bad. 



One of the best runs during this time is 

 recorded in the diary. It took place on No- 

 vember 1 6, 1877, when hounds ran from 

 Redmayne through the Tarnities and Blind- 



During these years the Carlisle Harriers 

 were given up, and Mr. Lawson gradually 

 increasing his country undertook to hunt the 

 whole county in 1857, removing the hounds 

 from Brayton to Raughtonhead. In 1861 

 Mr. Milham Hartley took over the hounds 

 and they were then named the Cumberland 

 Hounds. Mr. Briscoe followed three years 

 later, but he retired after a very short time on 

 the score of ill health. The hounds were 

 again taken on by Mr. Hartley who records 

 the following in his diary at the end of his 

 sixth season : ' So ends my six years' master- 

 ship, during which time the hounds have 

 killed ninety foxes and had some long runs. 

 There are still a few foxes in the county, and 

 it is to be hoped that the gentlemen who 

 succeed will show sport.' 



After Mr. Hartley's retirement, a com- 

 mittee of management was formed for a 

 period of three years when Sir Wilfrid 

 Lawson again resumed the mastership and 

 was joined in 1872 by Major Wybergh. 

 Captain Sharp is mentioned in the diary as 

 ' keeping the whole establishment.' On 

 Captain Sharp's retirement in 1876 the duty 

 was undertaken by Mr. Howard of Greystoke 

 and Colonel Wybergh, the country to be 



crake into Isel Wood. The hounds pushed 

 him through and breaking at the east end 

 ran to Threapland Gill, out of it on the 

 north side as if for Brayton, but changing his 

 mind the fox went to the right past Bothel 

 Craggs to Snittlegarth ; from thence we ran 

 past Ireby on to Intachre, and leaving Snow 

 Hill on the left kept a straight line to Caldeck 

 village, when the fox being headed turned 

 nearly straight back for a short distance, 

 managing thereby to puzzle the hounds. On 

 hitting it off the scent was weak, and as 

 horses and men had had quite enough we 

 gave the gallant fox up. A splendid run, 

 distance from point to point about fifteen 

 miles a great deal more the way the hounds 

 ran. Pace fast, a short check just before get- 

 ting to Snittlegarth, otherwise they must have 

 killed him before he reached Caldbeck. 



In 1885 Colonel Wybergh retired and Mr. 

 Howard hunted the whole county until he 

 was joined by Mr. Lawson in 1886, who 

 undertook the western division for four sea- 

 sons, at the end of which time Mr. Howard 

 again took the whole county till 1895, when 

 a new arrangement was made, the Cumber- 

 land hunt handing over half the county to 

 Mr. Salkeld of Holm Hill, who established a 



424 



