CRESS WELL HALL MEET. 135 



'^November 30th, 1885. Johnson HalL— Found in Mr. Lyon's covert, and 

 killed. Got away with a second. Ran by Wincote Wood at a great pace, and 

 killed him in ten minutes. Went back to Wincote. Found. Ran by Johnson 

 Hall down to Copmere, to the left on to Offley Grove, over the Canal as if for 

 Knighton Wood, but did not go in, but went right on to Ellerton, Avhere he beat 

 US, Time fifty-five minutes. 



"December 5th, 1885. Whitmore Station. — Found in Whitmore Wood. 

 Ran a ring and away by Hayes Sprink to Duns Wood, and killed at Keele Station. 

 Found a second fox in Bentylee Wood at Keele. Ran rings round Keele and 

 Whitmore, Hayes Sprink, etc., for three hours, and had to leave our fox at dark. 



" Decemher 20th, 1885. Norton-m-IIales. Found on Botton Moss, and ran 

 to ground on the railway. Bolted him, and ran fast to Bellaport, and lost him. 

 Found a second in the Dales, but did no good. Found again in Highfield Gorse. 

 Had a capital run by Betton, over Canal to Styche, and ran to ground near 

 Market Drayton." 



The following account of a meet at Cresswell Hall, on 

 December 26tli, 1885 (Boxing Day), is from the Stafford- 

 shire Advertiser of January 2nd, 1886 : — 



NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



On Saturday the North Staffordshire Hounds met at Cresswell Hall for the 

 first time. This being made a fixture is no doubt due to Mr. G. Meakin being a 

 liberal supporter of the Hunt and a preserver of foxes. The members of the 

 Hunt were liberally entertained at the Hall. The meet was a large one, due 

 mainly to the proximity to the county town, for it seemed that every class had 

 its represeutiitive. There must have been some hundreds in the park, every 

 conceivable conveyance being called into requisition — the pony-cart, with its 

 freight of six or seven hale men, who looked more like can-ying the small pony. 

 The withicft behind the Hall were first drawn. There was soon a fox on foot, 

 which ran across the park, to the great amusement of the pedestrians; but on 

 account of the great crowd nothing could be made of him, and, after drawing the 

 covert on the opposite side of the road, the order was given for Yeld's Rough, 

 where a fox was at home, and he seemed to have a will of his own, for, after 

 crossing the field at the back of the Rough, where we tried to prevent him. he 

 crossed the brook at the bottom, and then the railway. Of course, the field had 

 to ride for the bridge, and it was fortunate the hounds checked, giving a chance 

 to get up with them. The hounds now settled down in good earnest and 

 raced up to Whitgreave Wood, where he turned short, probably headed, and 

 made the village ; leaving this to his left, he went on to Bridgford, but the river 

 Sow and the railway were obstacles friendlj' to the varmint, for his line couid 

 not be hit oft' satisfactorily on the other side. This was a very pleasant run for 

 about twenty-five minutes. Thinking he might have returned to his old haunt, 

 the Yelds was run through again ; but this wily one knew better : he was not 

 there. Quite right from the huntsman's point of view, but bad for a covert. 

 Shallowford Gorse was then drawn. The order to the field to stop at the gate 

 was given by the Master, as is usual here. This rule might be observed at other 

 weak coverts, with the advantage of not heading foxes back into the covert and 

 into the pack. Thanks to the noble owner of this covert, some two hundred or 

 three hundred trees were cut down last spring to allow the underwood to grow, 



