The Sport of Our <J[ncestors 



of the oldest inhabitants of a certain parish that the meets 

 of the Foxhounds were nailed upon the church door, if not 

 actually announced from the pulpit by the good parson 

 himself every Sunday. There is yet another instance even 

 more naive than this. The proud parish that had given 

 birth to one of the finest sportsmen, and perhaps the most 

 consummate horseman, of the Victorian era rang its church 

 bells on the occasion of his riding the winner of the Grand 

 National Steeplechase at Liverpool for the second year in 

 succession. The man to whom was accorded this unique 

 tribute was none other than the late Mr, J. Maunsell Richard- 

 son, who won the Grand National Steeplechase in 1873 on 

 Disturbance, and in 1874 on Reugny, both of whom he 

 had himself trained for Captain Machell. 



Mr. Maunsell Richardson, who was born in 1846 and 

 died in 1912, seemed to his contemporaries to be one of the 

 fine flowers of English country life. Was he born at the 

 right time to have enjoyed field sports at their very best ? 

 This question gives rise to much speculation. It is inter- 

 esting to try to compare the respective environments of 

 those sportsmen who were born about the twenties, the 

 forties, and the sixties. Be it understood that such analysis 

 as it is possible to make will be confined to the point of view 

 of the leisured classes who in the last century were mainly 

 recruited from the agricultural landlords. No apology is 

 needed for talking about the leisured classes. Since the 

 War, the acquisition of wealth and leisure, more often than 

 not employed in the pursuit of game, seems to be just as 

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