JOHN ^^'HrDBORXE 87 



Bragg began to keep foxhounds a few years ago and 

 laid claim to part of the coiintr\*, I never heard any- 

 thing inconsistent with the whole of the district I 

 have named being South Devon countiy-." 



At the time when ^Mlidbo^ne began to hunt the 

 country* he was a solicitor in practice at Teignmouth 

 in partnership with my grandfather and father. He 

 was also a partner in the banking firm of Watts, 

 "\Miidbome and Moir.. and he had married a sister of 

 the senior partner, Mr. William John Watts, of 

 Xewton Abbot. The head ofi&ce of the bank was at 

 Teignmouth, and there were branches at Xewton 

 Abbot, DawUsh and Ashburton, from all of which it 

 wiU be realized that Mr. ^^^lidbome was a pretty' 

 busy man. 



Previous to taking over the South Devon Fox- 

 hounds, ^Miidbome had kept harriers at Teignmouth, 

 his kennels being at Buddleford Farm, about a mile 

 and a half outside the town below the road over 

 Haldon to Exeter. These kennels he afterwards 

 used for the South Devon Hounds. 



Churchward, who had been with Mr. Lane, was his 

 huntsman, and Babbage liis whip. This Babbage, 

 I beheve, was the same Babbage who in later vears 

 was with the Rev. Jack RusseU. 



The pack was now caUed The South Devon, and 

 the hunting appointments were advertised under 

 that title, sometimes with, and sometimes without, 

 the addition (in brackets) of "' Mr. "SMiidborne's." 



As will be seen from the boundaries above stated, 

 the countrv was of great extent. It also varied 

 greatly in character, comprising large woodlands, 

 cultivated land — chiefly arable in those days — and 

 open moorland. 



The following is an outhne gathered from an 



