( 57 ) 



CHAPTER V. 



LORD Stafford's mastership — good sport in the 



SEVENTIES. 



The season of 1874-75, Lord Stafford's first season as 

 Master, was a good deal interrupted by frost, especially 

 through the month of December ; but some fairly good 

 things are chronicled in Dickins's diary, from which we 

 extract the following : — 



" November IZth. Woore. — Found in Harrow's Wood. Ran him forty minutes, 

 and killed him in the open — a good thing. Found a second in the Admiral's 

 Gorse, and ran hira to gi-ound at Bellaport. Afterwards drew Checkley Wood 

 blank. 



" November 20th. Walgherton Lodge, Doddington. — Found in Wybunbury 

 Bogs ; had a good forty minutes, and lost him near Woore. Found a second in 

 Chapel Wood. Ran him very fast to Walgherton, on to Batherton, and away to 

 Hankelow H^Il, to ground over the Weaver in the Cheshire country. Time one 

 hour and ten minutes." 



There were only two days in December (7th and 9th) 

 when it was possible to hunt, and on one of these days 

 Dickins records that the snow was so deep that they had 

 to whip off and come home. 



" January IZth, 1875. Sandon. — Found a brace in the wood. Ran one very 

 fast up to Birchwood Park, on past Chartley, and back through the gorse, and 

 lost him near Birchwood Park. Found a second in Brindley's Wood. Ran him 

 an hour round Draycot, and lost him at Stallington. A good day. 



" January 2{)th. Woore. — Found in the Canridden Wood. Ran him at a 

 great pace to Checkley, on to Wrinehill, past Onneley village, over Barr Hill, 

 through and on to Bromley Coppice, past Broughton Hall, on to Burnt Woods. 

 Whipped off" ; horses beat. A capital day. 



^^ March 10th. Bird-in-Hand. — Found in the gorse, and ran him through 

 Hose Wood and New Close Sprink, away to Chartley Park, on to Bagot's Wood, 

 and lost him. Found a second at Birchwood Park, ran him to Stallington Hall. 

 A very hard day. 



