THE RULE OF Mr. GEORGE LANE FOX. 69 



This was indeed a splendid run, much of it over a fine 

 grass country, and as wild as man need wish to ride over. 

 The season ended on April 5th, at Bramham Park, where 

 they had a fair day's sport, killinL;' one fox and running 

 another to ground. 



The year 1856 was remarkable for a very interesting 

 presentation which took place, the history of which is unique. 

 Farming" in the early fifties was very prosperous ; and 

 Mr. Fox's tenants approached him on the subject of their 

 rents, which they .said were too low, and which they were 

 willing should be raised. Mr. Fox, of course, could not 

 consent to such a course ; and they then commissioned 

 Sir Francis Grant to paint his portrait, which they presented 

 to Mrs. Fox. The horse is Courtier, — the horse he rode 

 through the famous run already related. He was a remarkably 

 high-couraged horse, such as many would not care to ride, 

 and was a purchase from the late Newcombe Mason. The 

 hound is General, by Streamer — Belvoir Guilty. The 

 inscription at the foot of the portrait runs as follows : — 

 'This portrait of George Lane Fox, Esq., was presented 

 ' to Mrs. Lane Fox by the tenantry on the Bramham Park 

 'estate, as a memorial of their landlord's liberality.' 



1856-57. The earliest record of the season is an 

 entry relating to October 27th : but they would probably 

 start cub-hunting earlier than that. The season was like its 

 predecessor, a very good one, and excellent runs seemed to 

 be the rule, and not the exception. Yet the season is a black 

 one in the annals of the Hunt, for it was during it that that 

 good sportsman, the third Earl of Harewood, met with the 

 accident which resulted in his death. 



The entry which follows is an interesting one : — 



'December 12th. Bickerton Bar. Unluckily for me, I was 

 ' obliged to go to Oxford. Hounds found at Ingmanthorpe, 

 'ran a ring, then away to Walshford Bridge, Ribston, 

 I 



