266 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



Wolk'v (Market Drayton), Mr. Alfred Blockley (Radwood), Mr. Sandl)ach (Itad- 

 wood), and Messrs. Wilkinson (Swinchnrcli). A fox was pushed out from Maer 

 Hills and away to Radford, but was lost hard by Mr. Sandbach's farm. One or 

 two of the smaller covers were then worked, and on arriving at the Bitterns 

 another fox was got away. He also succeeded in defeating hounds, going to 

 gi-ound near Bar Hill, after a few minutes' running; but was afterwards ousted 

 from his concealment and returned to the Bitterns, from where, a little later, 

 hounds accounted for him, he unfortunately being headed when there was every 

 prospect of a good gallop. Another was put up, but lost. Scent was keen 

 during the earlier part of the day, but gave out considerably later. 



Hunting from Doddington Park, near Nantwich, with the North Stafifords on 

 Monday, were the Master (the Duke of Sutherland), Miss Chaplin, Mr. Eric 

 Chaplin, Lord Ingestre, Sir Delves Broughton, Lady Boughey, Major Stamer, 

 ]\Irs. Wicksted, Miss Twyford, Major and the Misses Kearsley, Mr. Arthur 

 Brocklehurst, Mr. Arthur Knowles, and other visitors from the Cheshire country. 

 The Doddington covers, Blakenliall, and Shaw's Rough, were drawn blank, and 

 it was not until afternoon that hounds, having an abundance of choice at 

 Checkley, ran out for Woore. Touching Finson's Hay, they ran straight to Mill 

 Hay, where hounds unfortunately divided, the body of the pack marking the 

 hunted fox to ground in a drain, and two couples going on for Three Brooks from 

 Finson's Hay. Subsequently hounds ran almost to Woore before turning left- 

 handed for Bellaport, the line being continued thence right into Wrinehill, 

 where the fugitive was marked to ground in a rabbit-burrow. Hounds then 

 found a fox, which ran through Wrinehill for Crewe. The pack were apparently 

 hunting a bold fox, but, being unfortunately headed, he ranged back to Wrine- 

 hill. 



'■'■December 12th, 1900. Stoke-hy-Stone. — Found in the Lodge Plantation, 

 Beat us in Cotwalton Drumble. Found in Hardiwick Heath. Hounds did a lot 

 of work in and out of covert. Beat us in the heath. Drew Orange Hayes, Spot 

 Nurseries, and Stallington Heath blank. Found in Black Lake. Had a very 

 good forty-five minutes by the Grange, Lea Croft, Saverley Green, nearly to 

 Painsley, bearing to the right through Hose Wood and Draycot Gorse, and stopped 

 the hounds going into Sherratt's Wood. Quite dark. We did not do much in 

 the early part of the day. The weather was very hot and choking, but late in the 

 afternoon hounds ran fast from Black Lake to Sherratt's Wood. Owing to 

 darkness, I had to stop them. 



^^ December Idth, 1900, Barlaston Green. — Found on the Downs Banks. 

 Had a sharp fifteen minutes, and ran to ground at the Outlanes, Found in 

 Kibblestone Gorse. ILad another fast little gallop, and ran him to ground on 

 Downs Banks, Drew Moddershall Oaks blank. Found in Black Lake. Had a 

 good Imnting run for about an hour, and rolled him over in Stallington Park, 

 Drew Cocknage Wood blank. Found in Newpark Wood, Had a fast gallop 

 for ten minutes, and ran to ground near Newstead Farm. A ver^' nice day. There 

 was a large field out. Had a very good day's sport." 



This Barlaston day was also chronicled in the Stafford- 

 shire Advertiser of December 22nd, as follows : — 



NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



These hounds met at Barlaston Green on Wednesday, when a fine gallop of 

 over an hour's din-ation was chronicled. The joint Master, Major Stamer, was 



