116 THE TEINITY FOOT BEAGLES 



at this time being taken to meets in a market-cart with a pig-net 

 over them, exposed to all sorts of weather, each hound having to be 

 lifted in. 



He got subscriptions enough to pay for the Kennels but not for 

 the land. Burges volunteered to buy the land and to resell to the 

 Committee at any time. The Kennels, therefore, for several years 

 legally belonged to Burges,^ and he received £5 a year rent, and 

 actually had a Parliamentary vote in respect of them. In 1898 

 this arrangement was put an end to by the purchase of the land 

 from Burges. 



The Kennels were finished for tlie October Term 1880.^ There 

 is no doubt they were badly built, and several alterations had speedily 

 to be made. 



The Kennels were finished and paid for (largely by Hunt) and 

 a new era began. 



Prior to 1881 the hunt servants' uniform consisted of a Lincoln 

 green cloth soft cap, but in 1881 it was decided to attire them in 

 green coats of velveteen, the button silver, with " T.F.B." in black 

 on it. The old cap was retained as a matter of sentiment, but was 

 abolished in 1882 in favour of a soft green velveteen cap. Hunt 

 would not have the hard cap now in use, as he could not put it in 

 his pocket ! White breeches did not come in till after Hunt's time. 

 Hunt was averse to this uniform, as he said it did not matter a 

 d — n what you wore as long as the hounds ran, and that high- 

 class clothes were not in his line, which was most certainly true ! 

 The first hunt coats were made by Bainbridge in Trinity Street. 



Hunt had meantime ordered the Beagle van, which was made 

 to his own design, and was built by his village carpenter at 

 Baschurch, Salop. It was not a great success. Its appearance was 

 against it, being a cross between a hearse and a baker's cart. It 

 was not very low on wheels, and the hounds had a plank to walk 

 up. It ran heavily and the wheels did not track. The horse was 

 hired and was more fit for hound soup than his job. The hire of 

 horse with his driver were paid at so much per meet, depending on 



1 Burges, in a letter to N. 0. Walker, say.s that liis father bought them. See i>. 213. 

 ^ I think this is correct. — R. H. 



