72 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



would kindly take care of it until it should 

 be wanted. Mr. Symonds was puzzled to know 

 what to do with the thing, a great square 

 granite tomb of unusual size; so having plenty 

 of spare stalls in his stables at the time he 

 had it placed in one, and there it remained 

 for sixteen years. Mr, Symonds died in 

 1836. Immediately over the entry of his 

 burial in the parish register appears the record 

 of the interment of William Bull, for many 

 years his huntsman. 



Mr. R. Symonds left a son and two daughters, 

 of whom the youngest married the late Mr. P. 

 Cotes. 



His brother Edward lived at Hinton for the 

 rest of his life, and died there in 1842. 



Hunting regularly from Oxford at that 

 time was Mr. Venables the saddler, who was 

 also landlord of the " Bear," a noted place 

 for dinners in those days. Mr. Venables 

 was noted for his greyhounds ; Peake, then 

 landlord of the "Mitre," and Tom Barnett, 

 who kept a livery stable in Holywell. Tom 

 was a character and very popular with the 

 undero^raduates. He once went down to 



o 



Christ Church with his little account and 

 knocked quietly at the " oak " of one of his 

 oood customers. On beinp" told to come in 

 he entered and found a small wine party going 



