THE BUILDERS OF BELVOIR 



Oxfordshire. Lord Sefton made way for Lord Foley, but 

 the Quorn blood remained the same. One hound from those 

 kennels, Sultan, seems to have been found useful to nick 

 with Belvoir blood, and of this hound's offspring six couples 

 of puppies were put forward in 1805 and 1806, in the 

 latter of which years no Belvoir sires were used. In 1807 

 we find fifteen couples from the Duke of Leeds' pack, while 

 Traveller, a home-bred hound with much Beaufort blood, and 

 Sultan were responsible for nineteen couples. It seems evi- 

 dent that the Duke bought a part of the Duke of Leeds' 

 pack, and that these hounds, like those of Mr. Calcraft, were 

 incorporated with his own. Indeed, the extent of his country, 

 the severity of the runs, and possibly the Duke's desire to 

 have a larger hound made considerable additions to his pack 

 necessary. The Duke of Leeds hunted a wild, good-scenting 

 country where lived a stout, if somewhat rare, race of foxes. 

 This country, which was afterwards absorbed in the Raby 

 territory, was one in which hounds had to learn to trust to 

 themselves, and no doubt the fifteen couples were found useful 

 in the Belvoir woodlands. 



In 1808 Mr. Assheton Smith's kennel was used, and this 

 pack had very much improved the Quorn hounds, which had 

 somewhat fallen off under Lord Foley. There was, too, in 

 the Belvoir kennels, in iSicx, an introduction of Osbaldeston 

 blood, as well as a draft of ten couples from Mr. Templer, an 

 addition which no doubt added to the music of the pack. 

 From 181 1 onwards there is still a great preponderance of 

 outside blood, as will be seen from the following list of sires : — 



" 181 1. By Lord Lonsdale's Millwood and Jailor, Osbalde- 

 ston's Wonder, Mr. Chaworth's Painter and Champion, Lord 

 Middleton's Fearnought, Belvoir Twister and Racer, Some 

 hounds were also bought from Mr. Chaworth," ^ 



It will also be noted how carefully these hounds were 

 chosen. But though Osbaldeston, to whose kennels recourse 

 was had, was one of the most famous of hound-breeders, and 

 bred for pace and endurance, he was nevertheless careless 

 about tongue. The " squire " had probably as great a dis- 

 ^ Mevioirs of the Belvoir Hounds, p. 15. 



97 H 



