Chapter II 



JOHN OF THE HILL 



1696-1779 



WE know the connection of the family of Manners with 

 the chase has been a long one, for, like other nobles 

 of Norman descent, they loved to hunt the stag. John, 

 ninth Earl of Rutland, created Marquis of Granby and Duke 

 of Rutland in the second year of Queen Anne's reign, was 

 noted for his love of the country and of country sports. The 

 present Duchess of Rutland, in the interesting account of 

 H addon written by her in the Quarterly Review^ and which 

 was afterwards reprinted in book form, says : " He preferred 

 the life of a country gentleman to one in town, and ' loved 

 buck-hunting.' It is mentioned that he and his retainers 

 hunted clad in green. So many letters of thanks were found, 

 in acknowledgment of red-deer pasties and bucks, addressed 

 to the successive owners of Haddon and Belvoir, that it is 

 evident deer abounded on both those estates." ^ 



Further evidence of this fact is found in the following : — 

 " The chace deer belonging to the Duke of Rutland range 

 in considerable numbers over the Vale and the adjacent part 

 of the hill country ; yet, through the liberality of the family 

 and their regard to the interests of the farmer, they are fewer 

 than in former times, when the tillage of the soil was loaded 

 with the heavy expence of nightly watchmen for the preser- 

 vation of their crops. 



" The remaining animals, which, being ferce naturce, are 

 yet not considered as common right as hares and rabbits ; 



' January, 1890. 



* Haddon Hall, by the Duchess of Rutland, p. 46. 

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