HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



Quarters, 



Maynooth, 

 Sunday, 30th July, 1798. 



My Lord, 



Having heard that Mr Ponsonby has given away 

 the hounds to Lord Lismore, and not knowing 

 exactly the terms, or what country he means to 

 draw, may I request your Grace's permission to 

 hunt Cartown (Carton)? My wish is to have the 

 country north of the Grand Canal, the Longwood 

 country, and also Westmeath, the most of which I 

 have already got. 



Mine are now all foxhounds, most of them 

 whelps of the Duke of Bedford's. 



Should you not have made any previous promise 

 to Lord Lismore, to whom I have also written on 

 the subject, as well as to Mr Ponsonby, your 

 compHance with my wishes will much oblige your 

 Grace's Obedient 



And very Sincere Humble Servant 



Fenton Aylmer. 



From this letter it is quite clear that the hounds 

 kept at Bishopscourt by Mr Ponsonby were given 

 to Lord Lismore out of the country, and conse- 

 quently that the existing Kildare can claim no 

 descent from his estabHshment. The letter seems 

 also to deny any connexion between our hunt and 

 that of Mr ConoUy at Castletown. It is certainly 

 impossible to identify the hounds which Sir Fenton 

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