8 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



When ended, half mad with the skurry, 

 Charlie flings on the saddle his rein, 



First dances, then shouts, ' Worry ! Worry I ' 

 Then shouts and then dances again." 



Allowing for some poetic license, it is easy to see 

 that " Charlie " Wicksted was heart and soul a sportsman, 

 and a sportsman of a genial and popular type, who was 

 thoroughly appreciated by his friends and neighbours. 



He appears to have been possessed of ample means, 

 having inherited a considerable property from a great- 

 uncle in his early days when an undergraduate at Christ 

 Church, whereupon he took the name of Wicksted in lieu 

 of the paternal name of Toilet. He was the only son of 

 George Toilet, of Betley, who was not at any time a 

 hunting man. AVells was first whip and kennel hunts- 

 man only for the most part, as Mr. Wicksted usually 

 hunted his own hounds, and was most devoted to them. 

 The present Mr. C. W. Wicksted (his son and successor to 

 the Shakenhurst property)Iinforms the present writer that 

 after his first season his father killed a fox for every 

 hound he had in kennel, and sometimes many more, but 

 he was always a great advocate for keeping as few hounds 

 as possible, and those the very best he could breed. 

 Harlequin, 23 inches high, of whom we give a portrait, 

 was one of his best. Mr. Wicksted sold some of his 

 hounds to Mr. Foljambe, of Osberton, at seventy guineas a 

 couple ; the rest went to Sir Thomas Boughcy, of Aqualate, 

 who, after Mr. Wicksted's retirement, hunted a portion 

 of the North Staffordshire country for a short time. The 

 following playful duel in verse took place some time during 

 Mr. Wicksted's Mastership between himself and Mr. 

 Hodgson, the Master of the Holderness, and afterwards 

 of the Quorn — the reference is to the foxhound show then 

 held at Osberton, in Nottinghamshire, when the prizes 

 consisted of a silver horn, a roll of red broadcloth, and 

 a saddle. Mr. Hodgson opens fire with the following 

 humorous lines : — 



