24 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



" There was a park meet," says Lord Ronald, " on January 27tli. The 

 Princess looked very lovely on her horse Khig Arthur, and rode like a bird. 

 Except hurdles, however, which had been put up in the Green Drive, there was 

 little jumping. But the Princess took the hurdles beautifully ; she has simply no 

 sense of nervousness. Returning from the hunting after dark, riding through 

 the woods where these hurdles were, she leapt them again, although both the 

 Prince and Stafford had avoided them. In the next term at Cambridge, I found 

 my old friend Professor Sedgwick delighted to hear of the Princess being such 

 a plucky horsewoman, saying that her courage and nerve came from the grand 

 old Norse breed — that blood that made such grand pirates. It would be difficult 

 to say what a charm the Princess has both in looks and manner. She is so 

 entirely free from affectation, and so easy to get on with." 



For some time before his death Mr. Davenport, owing 

 to failing health and increasing infirmities, had decided to 

 resign the arduous duties of a Master of Foxhounds, and 

 determined to retire after the end of the season of 1868- 

 69, and with this view had made arrangements for his 

 pack of hounds to be sold in the course of the summer of 

 1869. However, some weeks before the day fixed for the 

 sale arrived, Mr. Davenport succumbed to his ailments and 

 died on June 6th of that year, to the great regret of his 

 many friends in North Staffordshire and elsewhere. He 

 had not only hunted the country for twenty-seven seasons 

 (during the first twenty-three years entirely at his own 

 expense), but he had succeeded in establishing the hunt on 

 a thoroughly sound and firm basis. 



Mr. Davenport was by no means a mere sportsman, 

 with no tastes and pursuits outside the hunting-field. On 

 the contrary, he was a singularly able and successful man 

 of business, and from his earliest days had devoted his 

 keen faculties and his shrewd business talents to the 

 development and increase of a large china and glass manu- 

 factory at Longport, originally established by his father, 

 Mr. John Davenport. This important business was largely 

 extended in the time of Mr. William Davenport, and under 

 his manao'ement became a leading establishment in the 

 district, with a great reputation for the excellence of its 

 productions, and employing a large number of hands. 

 Mr. Davenport's friends used sometimes to wonder how 

 he could find sufficient time to devote to two objects so 



