CHAPTER X 

 BARON DE ROBECK, 1862-1868 



BARON DE ROBECK, of Gowran Grange, 

 Co. Kildare, by his acceptance of the invi- 

 tation of the Hunt Club to take the hounds, 

 filled the vacancy caused by the resignation of the 

 Mastership by Lord Naas in the spring of 1862. 

 Baron de Robeck's family had been long and hon- 

 ourably known in Kildare. I have already quoted 

 some short extracts from a diary kept by his father, 

 relating to a very early period of the Hunt. Baron 

 de Robeck himself, as appears from other notes 

 from his own diary, had hunted regularly with the 

 Kildares since the year 1853. It was felt in the 

 county that no better sportsman could have been 

 found to succeed Lord Naas, and that a continuance 

 of the good sport and general prosperity which had 

 attended the late Mastership was likely to be main- 

 tained under his auspices. I may say at once that 

 those anticipations were abundantly realized during 

 the six seasons which followed. 



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