224 THE SOUTH DEVON HUNT 



the well-known novelist, W. E. Norris ; Mrs. Ripley, 

 who, with her husband, Mr. H. M. B. Ripley of Hob 

 Green, Yorkshire, was a regular visitor to Torquay 

 for a series of winters ; Miss Tempest, now Lady 

 Beaumont, also wintering at Torquay ; Lady Freake 

 from Dartmouth, Miss Simmons, Mrs. Splatt, Lady 

 Clifford of Chudleigh, Miss E. Tayleur, Miss Whid- 

 borne and Mrs. Wale. 



Strangely enough, the hunting parson, for which 

 Devon has always been noted, was not conspicuous 

 in this hunt during the period under review, and the 

 only one I can call to mind was the " Hunt Chaplain," 

 the Rev. W. H. Thornton, an accomplished sports- 

 man who lived at North Bovey. He died in the 

 spring of the present year, and though he had not 

 hunted latterly, he continued to the last to take an 

 interest in the sport. But we, at one time, had 

 among the field a Methodist minister, the Rev. 

 J. Cocking from Moretonhampstead, who wore a red 

 coat and rode very hard. 



There was, indeed, another clergyman who hunted 

 for a few seasons with the pack, but I think he was 

 hardly out when Mr. St. Maur was master. This was 

 the Rev. Joe Pitt, a delightful man of the old school, 

 of whom Sir Reginald Graham gives an amusing 

 sketch in his Foxhunting Reminiscences. He was 

 a friend of the eighth Duke of Beaufort, and a 

 great admirer of the Badminton pack and country, 

 though I believe he actually lived in the Cots- 

 wold country before he came to end his days at 

 Torquay. 



The medical profession, on the other hand, was 

 well represented by Dr. Goodwyn from Bovey, Dr. 

 Haydon and Dr. Scott from Newton, Dr. Little from 

 Teignmouth, Dr. Symons and afterwards Dr. Ross 



