THE REV. JOHN LODER rj 



one time. He lived at Frilsham, Berks, Mr. 

 Tom Floyd's place. These hounds were sold 

 to Mr. Warde, when the latter went to Bices- 

 ter. Captain Bertie was M.P. for the City of 

 Oxford. He died in 1790. Thus the Abing- 

 don family provided hounds both for the Old 

 Berks and Bicester countries. 



Lord Abingdon never ceased during the rest 

 of his life to take the greatest interest in the 

 hunt, and the following letters of his, selected 

 out of many, seem worth quoting. In answer 

 to an enquiry about a servant, he writes : — 



Dear Loder. — I have been over to Annesley and 

 found him in tolerable health, but not one word 

 transpired on the score of foxhunting, and the Sef- 

 tonian Domains, He gave me an extraordinary 

 good character of James Headach ; who is a very 

 civil fellow, and has had a great deal of experience 

 in the character of a Whipper-in, Huntsman, Farrier, 

 and is an excellent shot ; and very understanding in 

 Curs of every denomination. I know the man, and 

 have had some talk with him. He was here yester- 

 day, his ambition is not to lead but to conform to 

 any situation he adopts, but he has a Wife and two 

 small children, and can't serve for a song. You 

 must therefore inform me, if you wish to hire him in 

 the Hintonian service to what amount you can screw, 

 for there are Times when a man can hardly keep 

 himself, much less a wife and brats, a good servant 

 is a valuable commodity, and you have ever been 

 fond of taking Time as well as something else by the 

 forelock. You do right to open the campaign with 

 vigour, and to ascertain country ; for let your hounds 



