SOxME YORKSHIRE HUNTING NOTES 203 



paid to the breeding of Lord Middleton's kennel 

 for generations past, and there is no more sporting 

 district in Yorkshire than the tract in the north 

 riding, " betwixt sea and heather," which is hunted 

 by these hounds. Lord Middleton, on the death 

 of his father in 1877, succeeded to the mastership ; 

 and is known to be one of the hardest workers on 

 Royal Commissions in the House of Lords, when 

 measures are brought forward to benefit agriculture 

 and country life. At home in Yorkshire, Notting- 

 hamshire, or the North of England, the noble 

 master is a model landlord, closely associating him- 

 self with the interests and welfare of those around 

 him. It is rather more than a hundred years since the 

 late Sir Tatton Sykes — then Mr Sykes — established 

 this pack with kennels at Eddlethorpe, hunting 

 the country four days a week at his own expense. 

 The present hounds are descended from that famous 

 pack, which were noted for working qualities and 

 beautiful tongue. 



The hunt appears to have originated with Sir 

 Thomas Gascoigne, as far back as 1764 ; and on 

 his retirement in 1773, the Duke of Hamilton 

 succeeded, holding a short mastership. Then 

 Mr George Lane Fox took office, to be succeeded in 

 due course by Lord Mexborough, Mr Henry Bumper 

 Saville, and Sir Walter Vavasour. In 1786 a com- 

 mittee was formed, comprising Mr Willoughby — ■ 

 afterwards Lord Middleton — Mr Compton and Lord 

 Carlisle. This arrangement lasted three years, and 

 then Mr Willoughby became master, followed by 

 Mr Legard, and Mr C. Buncombe ; bringing history 

 up to 1804. The most important period of the 

 hunt commenced with the mastership of Sir Master- 

 man Sykes, who went on for over twenty seasons ; 

 although for a short time he was assisted by Mr 



