Chapter XIII 



PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE 



BELVOIR HUNT AND OF 



THE SIXTH DUKE OF RUTLAND 



By Frederick Sloane Stanley 

 1858-1888 



SOON after he succeeded to the title, the Duke of Rut- 

 land took the mastership of the Belvoir hounds, Lord 

 Forester, the former master, having volunteered to retire in 

 his favour. The Duke most generously undertook to hunt 

 them at his own expense as long as he was able, and did so 

 for over twenty years. After that time, owing principally 

 to the agricultural distress, which more or less crippled, and 

 in many cases ruined, the landlords of England, he felt him- 

 self compelled either to give up the hounds altogether or to 

 take a subscription. The gentlemen of Lincolnshire, how- 

 ever, willingly subscribed the amount required, and he then 

 consented to carry on the hunt as before. 



The Duke of Rutland's first season as master was the 

 season of 1859-60. He was then a fine, tall, handsome man 

 of middle age, and a hard and determined rider. His hunting 

 costume was usually a high hat very much curled up at the 

 brim, a blue and white bird's-eye tie, a buff waistcoat and 

 scarlet coat with Belvoir Hunt buttons on it, generally white 

 buckskin gloves and always high black Napoleon boots, and 

 as master he carried a silver horn on his saddle. 



I believe he was one of the most popular masters of 

 hounds that ever existed, and was generally beloved by his 



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