20 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT. 



years have found them in the Devil's Parlour, or within hail 

 of that picturesque place, with a fox that has been found at 

 Pilmoor or Sessay. 



A run which finished in the Hambleton district upwards 

 of a hundred years ago, though it has little to do with any 

 part of the country run over by the York and Ainsty, may 

 be interesting, as showing the kind of sport which was 

 enjoyed in the country in the brave days of old. It is best 

 o'iven in the chronicler's own words: — 



& 



' Mr. Willoughby's foxhounds, on Wednesday last, had one of 

 ' the longest and severest runs ever known in England. 

 ' They unkennelled a fox in Skusely Wood, which was 

 ' killed seven miles below Hamilton, on the Moors, after 

 ' a run of four hours and ten minutes, with only one short 

 ' check. The ground they went is calculated at least fifty 

 ' miles, over a very deep and strong country. The only 

 ' persons in at the death were the two whippers-in, Lord 

 ' Carlisle's stud-groom, and a gentleman of the name of 

 ' Leatham. 



* The exact account of this extraordinary run is as follows : — 



' Found at fourteen minutes past ten o'clock on Skusely 

 ' Moor; ran some rings there; then to Swarthdale Springs, 

 ' to Hovingham South Woods ; then to Hairyholm (Airy- 

 ' holme) and Wiggenthorpe (Wiganthorpe), and ran some 

 ' rings there ; then to Duncomb Park, and on to the 

 ' moors for eight miles near Hamilton (Hambleton), and to 

 ' Scawton ; then to Old Byland and near Hornby, where 

 ' the hounds ran out of scent into view, which lasted about 

 ' four miles. 



* Killed handsomely at fifteen minutes past two o'clock, after a 



' chase of fifty-one miles, and four hours and one minute's 

 ' hard running. Thirty couples of hounds went into the 

 ' field ; nineteen were in at the death.' 



Mr. Willoughby was afterwards the sixth Lord Middleton, 

 and hunted for a couple of seasons the vast country which 

 is now divided between Lord Middleton and the Holderness, 



