SEASON OF 1896-97. 213 



"Novemher 23r'l, 189G. Betley .—Drevf Weston Osier-bed and Batterley 

 Bog blank. Foiiiul in jMill Dale. Had a very good hunting run, one hour and 

 five minutes, by Whittlesey Brook to Weston, by Betley Hall to Craddock's 

 Moss, and ran him to ground ,in Bowsey Wood. Found in the Gladdings. 

 Hounds ran very hard for about thirty minutes, and he beat us on the coal-pit 

 banks. Hard day for hounds. This was the fii-st time the hounds met at 

 Betley in regular hunting since 1879. There was a large field out, also a lot of 

 people on foot ; the village schools had a holiday, and we had a fair day's sport. 



" November 2Sth, 18t)G. Cold Norton.— Found three foxes in the Gorse ; 

 killed one and had a very nice gallop with another. He went towards Black 

 Plantation, bore to the left to Walton Heath, through Micklow Gorse, along the 

 side of the North Staffordshire llailway, over the high ground below Cold Norton, 

 through Mr. Ball's osier-bed, by Shallowford Gorse, and beat us near Whitgreave. 

 Drew Shallowford and Cold Norton, but did not find. Yarnfield osier-bed also 

 proved blank. Found and killed in the fox covert. Found in the Pilsons. 

 Stopped the hounds near Mill Meece owing to wire. Drew' Hatton Bogs blank. 

 Found in Swynnerton Old Park. Stopped the hounds near the Lime-pits, late 

 in the day. This was our fiftieth day's hunting this season, and hounds killed 

 their fiftieth fox. 



" December lith, 189(3. Norton-hi- Hales. — Found in the Bro\vnhills. Had 

 a very fast run with a ringing fox, and killed him near Betton. Found a brace 

 in Wordsley Wood. Ran very nicely through the Glades to Golling's Rough 

 and back ; then towards Norton Station, but gave him up owing to Mr. Colville 

 going to shoot the next day. Found in Adderley Gorse. Had a good gallop by 

 Kynsal Heath, over the canal at Cox Bank to Kent's Rough, by Adderley Hall 

 and Station, then ran very fast nearly to Betton, and stopped the hounds near the 

 Styche Brook — quite dark. A very good day — the best we have had for some 

 time at Betton. If the first fox had gone straight, it would have been a very 

 good ran. A good scenting day. 



'^December 28th, 1896. Maddey Village. — Found in Wrinehills. Ran a 

 nice pace over to Grafton's Wood by Madeley ^lanor, and killed him near the 

 Gladdings. Fornd again in Wi'inehills. Had a nice gallop by Checkley village, 

 Shaw's Rough, by Doddington, leaving the park on the right ; then to the left by 

 Pewit Hall, nearly to Harrow's Wood ; then swung to the right by Three Brooks, 

 leaving that and Buerton Gorse on the left, on by Kynsal Lodge and Adderley 

 Gorse and Cox Bank, over the railway, and beat us near Kent's Rough. This 

 was a nice hunting run of about seven-miles point, and did not touch a covert. 

 I think hounds would have killed this fox, but the afternoon got stormy. 



•^January lat, 1897. Ashlei/ Village. — Drew the Forty Acres blank, but I 

 think a fox slipped away unseen. Drew the Cow Leasows blank. Found in 

 the Burnt Woods. Hunted slowly to Hales, and beat us. Drew Old Springs 

 blank. Found in Cheswardine Gorse. Ran sharp to the Spoil Banks, away at 

 the far end, and ran a good pace, leaving Cheswardine village on the left, to 

 Knighton Wood, through it by Loynton, and beat us near Ran ton Abbey. This 

 was a good run, a nine-miles point, and thirteen as hounds ran. Hounds deserved 

 the fox, and the fox deserved to get away, for he was a good one, and I hope he 

 will give us the same journey again before the season is over." 



In his record of a very ordinary day's sport at Betley 

 on January 4th, 1897, Boxall mentions that "a sad 

 accident happened to Mr. Hall, of Kynsal Lodge, who was 



