PREFACE. 



A PREFACE generally appears to consist mainly of 

 apologies and acknowledgments, and I do not think 

 that mine will he an exception to the general rule. 

 In the first place, I wish to offer a sincere apology for 

 the shortcomings in this volume, of which I am only 

 too well aware. I make no claim to literary ability, 

 and can only plead that, having been quite unexpectedly 

 honoured by the Duke of Sutherland's request to under- 

 take the history of the North Staffordshire Hunt, I 

 have done my best to write an accurate account, and 

 for the rest must throw myself on the kind indulgence 

 of my readers. Two merits of a negative sort I think 

 I may perhaps fairly claim: I have not run into two 

 volumes, and I have "set down naught in malice." 



I have to thank many friends for kind help and 

 information. First and foremost, my best thanks are 

 due to His Grace the Duke of Sutherland, for his cordial 

 support in every way, and for permission to reproduce 

 here some of the historic pictures and family portraits 

 at Trentham ; to the Duke's private secretary and joint 

 honorary secretary to the Hunt, Mr. Alexander Simpson, 

 for the loan of the huntsman's diaries, the Hunt minute- 

 books, and for constant information and help which have 

 been simply invaluable ; to Mr. Fitzherbert Brockholes, 



