LADY FLORENCE CHAPLIN. 63 



" Found in the Moors Covert. Ran him tliree rings and killed. Found a second 

 in the Brickhill pit. Ran him by William's Wood back to the Hall, and after a good 

 ring or two killed him. Drew Shallowford Gorse blank, but found a good fox in 

 the Black Plantation, near to Walton, and ran him at a great pace for thirty 

 minutes to ground at Cresswell. A good day, the best scent since cub-hunting. 



" March 2\st, 1877. Bird-in-Hand. — Found in Draycot Woods, but could do 

 no good with him. Found a second in Sherratt's Wood. Ran him as if for Chartley, 

 tuiTied to the right and ran to ground near Hixon. Found a third fox on 

 Stallington Heath. Ran him for two hours, and lost him near Draycot Woods." 



The record for this season was forty-nine foxes killed, 

 forty-two run to ground, and one hundred and eleven 

 days' hunting altogether. The autumn of 1 876 was memor- 

 able in the North Stafford Hunt, on account of the 

 marriage of Lady Florence Leveson-Gower with Mr. Henry 

 Chaplin. Her marriage, involving removal to Lincoln- 

 shire, was a serious loss to the brightness and charm 

 of our hunting-field ; but we often had the pleasure of T^ady 

 Florence Chaplin's presence with us after her marriage 

 when visiting at Trentham, and it was a sad shock to us 

 all when the melancholy news came in November, 1881, 

 that her short and happy life had suddenly ended. 



The season of 1877-78, especially the first part of it, 

 was much better than the preceding, and Dickins entered 

 on December 31st, 1877: "The best November and 

 December ever known in Stafford. Foxes killed up to this 

 date, nineteen and a half brace." 



The first day's sport above the average appears to 

 have been from Woore on November 16th, of which 

 Dickins records — 



" Found in the Canridden. Ran a ring, and killed in the Mill Hay. Found a 

 second in HaiTow's Wood. Ran to the Canridden to ground. Found a third 

 in Captain Heathcote's new gorse. Ran through Checkley Wood and Wrine- 

 hill to Aston Cliff and Willoughbridge, and killed near Pipe Gate, A good 

 hour and thirty minutes. 



" November \lth, 1877. Adderley Station. — Found three foxes in the gorse. 

 Ran one to Mr. Baker's small gorse to ground. Went back to the gorse, and 

 ran a second to ground. Got on to a third, and ran a ring to ground at Buerton 

 Farm. Found another in Buerton Gorse, and he went to ground. Found a 

 good fox in Braddon's Drumble. Ran to Nantwich and killed. A capital hour 

 and twenty minutes." 



Four foxes in a day to ground and one kill is rather 



