58 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



" March Zlst, 1875. Woodseat.—Fonndi a good fox. Ran him to Bircliwood 

 Park, and lost him. Did not know the country. Found a second at Draycot, a 

 vixen." 



This entry of Dickins's at first sio-ht seems a little 

 ambiguous, and it may be just worth while to point out 

 that he does not mean that the fox " did not know the 

 country," but that he (Dickins) was in unknown latitudes, 

 the fact being that almost the whole of the run was in 

 the Meynell country, and this particular line, though no 

 doubt familiar enough to the fox, had probably never been 

 traversed before by the North Staffordshire huntsman — 

 Woodseat being quite on the outside of the North Stafford 

 country, and some eighteen miles at least from the 

 kennels. 



The present writer's diary entry of this run, which 

 was really a very fair gallop, although so briefly disposed 

 of by Dickins, is as follows : — 



" Found a good fox at Chipperlee Coppice, and had a good gallop via 

 Beamhurst, North Staffordshire Railway, Philips's Gorse, near Bromshall, Carry 

 Coppice, Gratwich, and Birchwood Park, where he beat us. Well carried by 

 Gipsy Queen." 



The following account of the Woodseat day (March 

 31st) appeared in the Staffordshire Advertiser of the 

 following week : — 



" On "Wednesday the lawn meet of the season par excellence came off at 

 Woodseat, the residence of C. M. Campbell, Esq., M.P. A special train brought 

 the noble Master, the Marquis of Stafford, and a good sprinkling of members of 

 the Hunt, together with the hounds and the Hunt servants from Stoke. A large 

 field, including the Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord Ingestre, Ladies Gwendoline and 

 Muriel Talbot, and many members of the Meynell Hunt, graced the meet and 

 partook of the generous hospitality of Mr. Campbell. A fox of the right sort was 

 soon found at Chipperley Coppice, and the hounds, settling down in earnest, 

 rattled him at a good pace over a fine grass country, with fair sporting fences, to 

 Beamhurst, across the Cheadle and Uttoxeter turnpike road, over the Tean brook 

 and the pastures beyond to the North Staffordshire Railway, which was crossed 

 opposite Hays House, through Brarashall Gorse (the property of that excellent 

 sportsman and staunch fox-preserver, Mr. J. W. Philips). Here an unlucky 

 check occurred, which saved the life of the fox. He was afterwards run, some- 

 times at a good pace, but with frequent checks, through Carry Coppice, over the 

 river BIythe, near Field, to Gratwich ; then, leaving Chartley on the left and 

 turning to the right to Birchwood Park, nearly to Field again, and, after a good 

 hunting run of about an hour and a half, this gallant fox was left to fight another 

 day, being lost somewhere near Birchwood Park. A second fox was found at 



