THE REV. ROBERT SYMONDS 6i 



following letter from Mr. Calley, of Burderop, 



will show : — 



Burderop, Swindon. 



Sir, — When Mr. Bowes gave up his hounds he 

 requested me to preserve my Wood for you, as I had 

 done for him, to which I readily complied. But as 

 the hunting season has now commenced some time, 

 and I did not hear from you to stop the earths or 

 any information of your hunting days, I concluded 

 that from the very great distance of my cover from 

 your kennel, you had abandoned the idea of hunting 

 this country. Therefore, as I have a great many 

 foxes in my wood, which of course are very inni- 

 mical to the game, I gave orders to my Keeper to 

 catch them whereever he could, that I might hunt 

 them with my Harriers. Last Saturday week I 

 turned out one in the Vale near Cold Harbour, 

 which showed very good sport, but saved himself 

 in a drain, near the Village of Hannington, and I 

 doubt not is now returned to the cover here. I have 

 at present one which we caught last Friday, which 

 I shall have turned out again and I doubt not but 

 that he will afford us some sport, when your hounds 

 come next Saturday. You may rely on having the 

 earths well stopped, as often as you chuse to hunt 

 here; but unless the country is hunted as regular 

 as by Mr. Bowes it will not be worth my while to 

 preserve so great a stock of foxes. 



I am, Sir, Your Obedient humble Servant, 



Thomas Calley. 



To the Rev. R. Symonds. 



Robert Symonds did the work of Master 

 in the field until his father-in-law's death in 

 1805, when he succeeded to the hounds and 

 everything else in right of his wife. His 



