18 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



centre of the hunt, and the extensive coverts called Maer 

 ffills (on the estate) came in well for cub -hunting in the 

 autumn. Mr. Davenport here delighted to entertain his 

 friends, especially those who were keen after the good old 

 sport, and a more hospitable house than Maer Hall was 

 never known, as some of the sportsmen of that day are 

 still here to testify. Amongst others we may mention the 

 late Duke of Rutland, the late Lord Talbot (afterwards 

 Earl of Shrewsbury), Lord Combermere, Lord Henry 

 Thynne, Sir Harry Main waring, Captain White, M.F.H., 

 Sir Watkin W. Wynn, the late Earl of Lichfield, Lord 

 AYrottesley, Mr. Henry Clive of Styche, Mr. Thornhill, 

 ]Mt. Nesfield, Lords Henry, Alexander, and Berkeley 

 Paget, the BuUers, the Fitzherberts (of Swynnerton), 

 Jack Mytton, the Coyneys (father and son), the Philipses 

 (Hey bridge and Heath House), besides many others, as 

 frequent guests at the hall in the fifties and the early 

 sixties. 



]Mr. Davenport had only one son, ]\Ir. Henry Daven- 

 port, who often officiated as field master in his father's 

 later years ; he was an accomplished horseman, and a " past 

 master" in all that appertained to fox-hunting. There 

 were eight daughters. Miss Davenport, the eldest daughter, 

 married the present baronet, Sir Morton E. M. Buller, of 

 Dilhorn Hall ; another daughter married Colonel Rivers 

 Bulkeley, who some twenty years ago had the honour of 

 successfully piloting the Empress of Austria with the 

 Cheshire and North Stafi"ordshire packs ; another daughter 

 married Reginald X. Wood, for years, and still, one of the 

 straightest and best men with the North Stafford ; another 

 married the late Colonel Reg-inald Buller of the Grenadier 

 Guards, a leading and staunch supporter of the Hunt ; 

 another married the late Colonel Frederick Buller of the 

 Coldstreams, a rio-ht crood man across country ; whilst 

 another married Mr. Hugh Ker Colville, of Bellaport, also 

 well known as a good supporter of the Hunt. We may be 

 pardoned for quoting here a cheery account of the North 

 Stafiordshire Hunt in Mr. Davenport's time, given by 



