THE FIRST PACKS 



" Have you given up Fox-hunting for this season? 

 Will you hunt this country; you know there are 

 foxes, if you do not think it late? " In the same year 

 I find letters from Mr Thomas Thoroton written 

 from Belvoir Castle, which establishes, I think, a 

 blood relationship between the Belvoir pack and 

 Mr Conolly's hounds in 1777. In a letter from Bel- 

 voir dated June 7, he urged Mr ConoUy to send 

 his huntsman over to bring back hounds from the 

 Belvoir pack, it being already late in the year for 

 some of them to travel. A fortnight later another 

 letter, which I may set out at length, will show the 

 generous infusion of English blood which reached 

 the Castletown pack in that year. 



Belvoir Castle, 



June 22nd, 1777. 



My dear Sir, 



I have sent you eleven couple of hounds that I 

 hope will please you. There is two dogs, the one a 

 Grey and white dog called " Gayger " (Ganger) 

 that is of our best sort and I most strongly recom- 

 mend him as a stallion. The other dog called 

 " Farewell " with a Red Head and a large Black 

 spot on His Loins I equally recommend as a Stal- 

 lion. He is of Mr Pelham's* sort. 



* Probably Henry Pelham, the statesman, son of the first Lord 

 Pelham. He married Lady Catherine Manners, daughter of the first 

 Duke of Rutland. 



23 



