214 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



kicked and his leg badly broken, also one rib, when he fell 

 from his horse," Mr. James Hall, who is here mentioned 

 with so much sympathy by Boxall, is an old and still 

 constant follower of the Hunt, and a thorough sportsman, 

 and it is satisfactory to know that this unlucky accident 

 has by no means stopped his hunting, or diminished his 

 zeal for the sport. Mr. Hall's memory goes back to the 

 early days when Mr. Davenport kept his hounds at 

 Wolstanton, and he has been good enough to give the 

 present writer some of his juvenile reminiscences of those 

 days. Mr. Hall writes — • 



"In January, 1847, my father was living at Brampton Tree House near 

 Newcastle. I was home for the holidays, and one afternoon saw hounds and horse- 

 men, a few of the latter in pink, the rest in plain clothes, coming by Dimsdale 

 Old Hall, hounds in full cry. I immediately got a pony out of the stable and 

 met them at the Ilempstalls. The fox was dead beat, and was shortly after killed 

 in my father's orchard. Old Maiden was huntsman, and I think his son was 

 whip. The fox was broken up in front of the house, and I had the brush. 

 Maiden told my father I had properly entered. Mr. Wra. Davenport was Master, 

 but I do not think he was out that day. I remember seeing Lewis Adams of the 

 Watlands, and Mr. Ilatton of May Bank, and I think the late Mr. Cartlich. The 

 hounds were then kennelled at Wolstanton. My father, brother, and self often 

 went to see them on a Sunday afternoon. The Brampton, Dimsdale, Hempstalls; 

 etc., were then open country ; now they are more or less built over. I do not 

 remember where the fox was found." 



Since this early entry on his pony, Mr. Hall has 

 developed into a welter weight, and seen much sport, and 

 many a kill in the open, and is as well known as any one 

 in the Hunt for his love of sport and determination to 

 see the fun. He has generally some good weight-carriers 

 in his stable. 



" January Gth, 1897. Huntley Hall. — Found on Draycot Cross. Had a 

 little gallop by Oak Hill and Tean, back to the Cross, and beat us. Drew 

 Dilhorn blank, also Stallington Gorse blank. Found a brace in Black Lake. 

 Killed one, and ran the other very fast through Stallington Park, Fulford Dale, 

 by the Heatli, through Schoolhouse Wood, Moddershall, to Cocknage Wood, 

 l)lurton Grange, through New Park Wood, over the Longton road, by Trentham 

 Station, crossed the railway near Sidway, over the canal up to Hanford, and 

 beat us near the Hunt stables. This was a good hound run, and dark when we 

 tinished. Our fox lay down in a ditch near the Hunt stables, and was seen by 

 Turner, one of the stablemen, to get up just after we had gone. 



" January Wtli, 1897. Duddlnqton. — Found two and a half brace in Chapel 

 AVood. Hound stuck to the woret fox. Thev ran him hard in covert about an 



