40 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



Wood, tlirough Birchwood Park up to Chartley, leaving the Park to tlie right, 

 through the Shaw, thence across for Gratwich, leaving the wood on the left, 

 across the river Blythe, up to Kingstone Wood, tiience up the meadows by 

 Callow Hill to Stansliy Wood, straight over Blithfield Park, and through Blithe 

 Moor, up to Stephen's Hill, thence to Stockwell Heath, between which and a 

 covert called the Black Flats this gallant animal succumbed, after a run of two 

 hours and twenty' minutes. 



" Up to Chartley the scent was indifferent, and the pace consequently slow, 

 but we then got on better terms with him, and from Chartley to the finish it was 

 all that we could wish. The distance from point to point cannot be much less 

 than fifteen miles perfectly straight, as we found not far from Blythe Bridge 

 Station, and killed between Colton and Blithbury, thus happily proving that 

 the race of wild foxes is not yet extinct in Staffordshire. Tom Atkinson, the 

 huntsman, handled his hounds in a most workmanlike manner through this great 

 run, much to the satisfaction of Mr. Davenport and his friends." 



From the Derhy shire Advertiser, February, 1866 : 



THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE FOXHOUNDS. 



By some blunder, though not of ours, for the information came in the usual 

 course from headquarters, these hounds were advertised in our last impression 

 to meet on Wednesday instead of Thursday, at Draycot village, and we fear 

 some of our readers may in consequence have suffered disappointment, for we 

 understand that they had excellent sport on the latter day, finding their first fox 

 in Hose Wood, running him through New Close Sprink into the Blythe Meadows, 

 and killing him in the Wing plantation near Heybridge, after a sharp burst of 

 some twenty minutes. They then trotted oft' in search of another, and found 

 one of a more lasting sort, which led them a dance into the Chartley country, 

 going right across the park, and then turning to the left, through the Hand 

 Leasows Wood, and down the hollow to Gratwich Wood, thence over the Blythe 

 up to Leese Hill, as though his point was Kingstone Wood and Bagot's Park ; 

 but, turning to the left, he made for the Loxley coverts, crossing the park and 

 passing near the hall, and was pulled down between there and Uttoxeter, after a 

 good hunting run of an hour and a half. 



From the Staffordshire Advertiser, January 23rd, 

 1868 : 



" The North Staffordshire Hounds met at Trentham Kennels on Thursday, 

 when there was a very large muster, amongst whom were Lord Tarbat, Mr. 

 Johnstone, and others from the Hall. There was a good turn-out of the neigh- 

 bouring gentry and ladies, including Mr. H. Davenport, the Misses Davenport, 

 Messrs. Buller, Mr. White, Messrs. Copeland, Messrs. Wood (Watlands), Messrs. 

 Holline, Captain Heath, and many others, numbering upwards of a hundred. 

 Besides the equestrians, there were a large number of carriages and vehicles of 

 all classes, and many pedestrians (the latter estimated at upwards of three 

 hundred). No doubt this large gathering was owing to a report being spread that 

 the Prince of Wales was expected at the meet. 



" The large cavalcade moved on through the village, taking the inhabitants 

 quite by surprise, to New Park, where they found almost directly. The fox, 

 however, turned out to be a ' bad 'un,' like many others found this season, and 



