MR. HENRY CHAPLIN. 233 



No record of the North Stafford Hounds would be 

 complete without some mention of the name of the Right 

 Hon. Henry Chaplin, who, through his marriage in 1876 

 with Lady Florence Leveson-Gower, became closely con- 

 nected with the Master, and with the North Stafford 

 country. Mr. Chaplin is too well known in the hunting 

 world, and in the domain of sport generally, to require 

 any detailed description here. But it will not be out 

 of place to refer to him, not merely as a fine rider and 

 ideal sportsman, but as having a claim on our gratitude by 

 reason of his having given material assistance to his 

 brother-in-law, the present Duke of Sutherland, in helping 

 to build up the admirable pack of hounds now at Trentham 

 by the loan of Blankney sires from time to time, and for 

 valuable advice and help generally in the matter of hound- 

 breeding. Few men have had more experience in hound- 

 breeding and hunt-management than Mr. Chaplin. At one 

 time he and the late Lord Henry Bentinck hunted the 

 whole of the Blankney and Burton country six days a 

 week, and after Lord Henry Bentinck's death, Mr. Chaplin 

 hunted the country for several years single-handed. As 

 to his performances across country, they are too well 

 known for description here. Are they not written in the 

 chronicles of the Warwickshire, and the Meynell, and else- 

 where, including his historic jump over the Mill Dam at 

 Foston ? We have referred elsewhere to the early and 

 much-lamented death of Lady Florence Chaplin, which 

 happened within five years of her marriage. It is a satis- 

 faction to know that this sad event has not weakened the 

 ties between the two families, and the members of the Hunt 

 hail with pleasure the presence of Mr. Chaplin and his 

 son and daughters with the North Stafford Hounds from 

 time to time, on the occasion of their visits to Trentham. 

 "Will" Boxall, our present huntsman, came from Mr. 

 Chaplin to Trentham in 1877, and Will's father was for 

 years stud groom at Blankney, where he had charge of 

 a large and valuable stud of racehorses and hunters, and 

 earned a great name for able management of the very 



