78 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



noted Whig, and a supporter of the Prince 

 Regent in his patronage of the prize ring. 

 " Alderman Combe " was one of the two 

 referee's umpires in the great fight in 1782 

 between " Gentleman " Humphrys and Men- 

 doza, the other umpire being Sir Thomas 

 Apreece. 



He married his cousin, Alice Christian Tree, 

 by whom he had a large family, Harvey the 

 Master, Matthew, who died unmarried. General 

 James Combe, Richard Combe, of Pierrepoint, 

 Surrey (well known on the turf), Boyce, and 

 by his second wife, Charles Fox Combe, father 

 of Mr. Charles Combe, now of Cobham. Mr. 

 Harvey Combe succeeded his father at Cob- 

 ham and as head of the firm in 18 18. He 

 had hunted the Berkeley country for three 

 years before he was called upon to hunt the 

 Berkshire, and he brought with him into 

 Berkshire the old Berkeley pack, each hound 

 marked on the near side with a B. As hunts- 

 man, came Tom Oldaker, with his brother 

 Bob as whip, sons of the celebrated Thomas 

 Oldaker, for many years huntsman of the 

 Berkeleys, and whose portrait was published 

 in a well-known engraving, in which he is 

 represented on horseback amongst his hounds, 

 and holding in his hand a huge horn with 

 a double circular curve. This picture was pub- 



