THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



CHAPTER II. 



ROYAL VISIT TO TRENTHAM — DEATH OF ME. DAVENPORT — 



ME. Davenport's mastership — Staffordshire sports- 

 men IN his time. 



One of tlie notable incidents during Mr. Davenport's mas- 

 tership was the presence of Royalty in the hunting-field in 

 the persons of our present gracious King and Queen, then 

 their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, 

 during a visit to Trentham in January, 1866. The event 

 is thus rather gushingly recorded in one of the local papers 

 of February in that year : 



" The first fact in the order of time which we have to mention in connection 

 with the visit of their Eoyal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales to 

 Trentham, is that on Friday evening the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland 

 gave a dinner-party, at which the following guests were present : The Prince 

 and Princess of Wales, the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot and the Ladies 

 Gertrude and Adelaide Talbot, the Earl of Lichfield, the Countess Grosvenor, 

 the Countess of Morton (ladjMn- waiting), the Earl and Countess Vane, the Earl 

 and Countess of Sefton and the Lady Cecilia Molyneux, Lord and Lady Bagot, 

 Lord Hill, Lord Ronald Gower, Lord Hay Campbell, the Hon. Mr. and Mrs. 

 Coke, the Hon. H. L. Bourke, Major G. H. Grey (gentlemen-in- waiting), Mr. 

 Sneyd, Dr. Quin, and Mr. Ramsbottora. On the same evening there was a dance 

 in the idrawing-room, for which puipose Coote and Tinney's band had been 

 engaged. The company included, in addition to the distinguished party named 

 above, a number of the local gentry. Dancing was commenced by a quadrille, 

 which was opened by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Sutherland, the 

 Duke of Sutherland and the Princess of Wales, the Earl of Sefton and the 

 Countess A'ane, and the Hon. H. L. Bourke and Lady Constance Grosvenor. 

 Supper was served at twelve o'clock, and dancing was kept up until nearly three. 



" Amongst the incidents of the Fridaj' evening's entertainment was the per- 

 formance of the All England Prize Bell Ringers of Uttoxeter, who were sent tor 

 by the Duchess on that day, and performed a selection of pieces in an apartment 

 adjoining the ballroom. 



" On Saturday Trentham presented the gayest scene ever witnessed in the 

 memory of man. The hounds met in front of the hall at twelve o'clock, and 



