42 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



CHAPTER IV. 



JOIXT MASTERSHIP OF THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY AND 

 CAPTAIX NUGENT. 



In consequence of Mr. Davenport's intimation that he 

 had decided to give up the Mastership at the end of the 

 season 1868-69, the members of the Hunt held a meeting, 

 which is thus reported in the Staffordshire Advertiser of 

 22nd May, 1869 : 



" A meeting of gentlemen interested in the hunting of the North Stafford- 

 shire countrj'- was held at the Railway Hotel, Stoke-upon-Trent, on Wednesday 

 afternoon. The Earl of Shrewsbury presided, and there were also present, 

 Colonel Buller, ^Ii-. Egerton Harding, Mr. Henry Davenport, Captain Hyde 

 Smith, Mr. M. D. Hollins, Mr. H. T. Davenport, ]\lr. E. N. W^ood, Captain 

 Buchanan, Mr. Morton Buller, Mr. W. Heath, Mr. Boote, Mr. Cartlich, etc. 

 Lord Shrewsbury, in opening the meeting, stated that some time since he had a 

 correspondence with Mr. Davenport, of Maer, respecting the disposal of the pack 

 of hounds of which he had expressed his wish to resign the Mastership ; but 

 nothing was done at that time, because Mr. Davenport did not like to take any 

 decisive step m the absence from the country of the Duke of Sutherland, who 

 had always been a liberal supporter of the pack. His (Lord Shrewsbury's) idea 

 was that it would be desirable for North and South Staffordshire to combine, in 

 order that the old pack, which was a very valuable one, might be saved to the 

 county. He was willing to purchase the hounds, and lend them to the county, 

 if an adequate subscription were entered into to keep them going. The South 

 Staffordshire gentlemen thought, however, that it was undesirable, on account 

 of the peculiar]}' narrow formation of the county at the centre, that there should 

 be only one pack within its borders, considering that it would promote sport and 

 save expense and trouble, if both packs were retained. That being the case, it 

 was for this meeting to consider what course to adopt. Colonel Buller spoke in 

 warm terms of the obligation which the county was under to Mr. Davenport, 

 of Maer ; and he then made various suggestions as to the securing of the North 

 Staffordshire pack, which is advertised to be sold b}' auction in June, and con- 

 cluded by saying that Lord Shrewsbury would give £250 towards the purchase- 

 money. A conversation was then held as to the best mode of obtaining and 

 hunting the pack, and ultimately an arrangement to the following effect was 

 come to : ' That a subscription should be entered into for the purchase of the 



