GEORGE TEMPLER OF STO\^R 21 



uttered without the sincere tribute of regret at his 

 early departure from amongst them. . . . The epoch 

 of George Templer of Stover, on many accounts and 

 for many a long year will be the ' Alba not a ' in the 

 sporting annals of Devonshire ; for there was a 

 graceful individuality that belonged to the man, 

 combined with unusual attainments, that would 

 have made him remarkable at any time."^ 



It is difficult at tliis distance of time to ascertain 

 with any certainty the date when Templer first 

 hunted the country. It was certainly prior to 1810, 

 in which year it is on record that the Duke of Rut- 

 land had a draft from the Stover kennels.- The 

 fact that this was one of the only tlu-ee occasions 

 of the Belvoir purchasing drafts from other packs 

 is eloquent testimony to Templer's judgment and to 

 the superior type of hound that he bred. It also 

 shews clearly that he must at that time have been 

 keeping hounds for some years for his pack to have 

 reached so high a standard. 



In the Appendix to liis interesting History of the 

 Beh'oir Hunt Mr. Dale mentions, after the entry 

 for 1810, " Ten couple of hounds bought by 

 IVIr. Templer." This is a misprint for '* bought o/." 

 The late Master of the Belvoir, Lord Robert Manners, 

 very kindly confirms this in a letter in which he 

 tells me, quoting from the Journal of the Operations 

 of the Belvoir Houjids for the year 1810 by Shaw, 

 the then huntsman, that Mr. Templer's draft con- 

 sisted of entered hounds of from two to five seasons. 

 Lord Robert adds : 



" Under date August 16th Shaw writes : ' Mr. Templer's 

 hounds arrived on Wednesday. They are all very lame from 



^ Letiirs on the past and prestiit Faifiound^s cf Devotishire. 1361. 

 C. A. Harris. * Kings of the Hunting Field. Thonnsmby. 



