96 THE HUNTING FIELD 



of Lord Yarborough to his Huntsman, after having 

 been more than fifty years in his service ; made as 

 an acknowledgment of that indefatigable and unremit- 

 ting attention to the business of his vocation, which 

 may be recommended for a pattern to those who 

 succeed him, and can never be surpassed.' " Of the 

 estimation in which the late one was held by the 

 country, we add a description of the present made to 

 him by his sporting friends : — A large salver, with 

 a bold and richly-embossed edge and border, and a 

 broad chased wreath encircling a plain shield in the 

 centre, on which is engraved — "This salver and a 

 teapot, coffeepot, sugar-basin, and cream-ewer (pur- 

 chased by subscribers of five shillings each), were 

 presented to Mr. "William Smith by his friends and 

 the sportsmen in the Brocklesby Hunt, as a testimony 

 of their high estimation of his propriety of conduct 

 and great ability as a Huntsman: October, 1834." 

 Sebright had a somewhat similar present from the 

 gentlemen and yeomen of Lord Fitzwilliam's Hunt, 

 in 1836. Sebright is another instance of the passion 

 for hunting running in families. He is the son of a 

 famous Huntsman, and was almost nursed in the 

 kennel. He has gone through all the gradations of 

 service. At fifteen he entered the list of Whips 

 under West, who hunted the old Surrey when Mr. 

 Nevill was Master. He then went to Mr. Osbal- 

 deston, and from him he came to Lord Fitzwilliam. 

 Skinner is a good name. There were three brothers 

 at work with hounds a few years since, all by old 

 Skinner, who was five-and-fifty years with Mr. 

 Meynell. There were four Hills, all Huntsmen or 

 first Whippers-in at the same time. Tom and his 

 brother Peckham in Surrey, Jem in Wiltshire, and 

 Dick in Oxfordshire, or Jem in Oxfordshire and Dick 

 in Wiltshire, we forget which. The Oldacres were 

 all sportsmen, and the name not to be beat ; the 

 celebrated old Tom was father of two Huntsmen. 



