TWO BELVOIR AND QUORN RUNS 129 



kept by Mr. John Welby, of Allington— February 4, 

 1867 * " From Grimston Gorse the Belvoir hounds 

 joined in chase with the Quorn, and, running 

 some way together, killed their fox by Goadby 

 Gorse." 



The events of the great day, Monday, December 

 22, 1884, is the occasion to which we wish to devote 

 space, chiefly because its story brings before us the 

 characteristics of two famous huntsmen of the past^ 

 Tom Firr and Frank Gillard. To this day the brush 

 that crowned that history-making gallop is to be 

 seen in a glass case at the Belvoir kennels, cherished 

 as one of its treasured heirlooms, and with it is 

 a print from a long descriptive letter of the run, 

 written by Frank Gillard the same evening, to Lord 

 Charles Cecil Manners, 6th Duke of Rutland, master 

 of the Belvoir. 



In the same case with this brush is seen another 

 brush and mask, which has caused rather confused 

 ideas when viewing the trophy ; but the explanation 

 is, that they belonged to a fox which gave an eventful 

 run of nearly two hours the day after Lord Forester's 

 funeral. 



The printed letter is evidence of Frank Gillard' s 

 diligence as a penman, for every evening after hunt- 

 ing, during the twenty-six seasons he was in office, 

 the diary of the day's sport was written up with 

 scrupulous care. In addition to this, the aged Duke, 

 whose infirmities for many years prevented him from 

 being in the saddle, wanted to hear, at the earliest 

 possible moment, a detailed account of all that 

 happened, whether he was in residence at Belvoir 

 Castle or elsewhere. We marvel at such correspond- 

 ence to-day, because letter-writing is well-nigh a 

 forgotten art ! and now the Belvoir huntsman, from 

 the kennels can ring the master up on the telephone, 



I 



