MAJOR J. A. COOKE HURLE 279 



county, all the others being Devonians by either 

 birth or adoption. Yet the two masters named are 

 not to be classed together, for was not Major Cooke 

 Hurle, who hailed from Somerset, a Westcountryman 

 born, and had he not for four seasons been master of 

 a Devonshire pack, the Lamerton, which he left in 

 1910 ? So that, when, after some brief negotiations, 

 he came back to the county as the newly elected 

 master of the South Devon, in succession to Mr. 

 Brunskill, it never occurred to anyone to look upon 

 him as a stranger. 



After leaving the Lamerton and taking a year's 

 rest from the labours of office as M.F.H., Major Cooke 

 Hurle, in conjunction with his brother, now Lieut. - 

 Colonel E. F. Cooke Hurle, took the mastership of 

 the New Forest Hounds. When, in 1913, he came 

 back to Devonshire from the New Forest, he brought 

 with him a pack of thirty-five couple, composed 

 partly of drafts from his two former packs, and en- 

 gaged F. Reeves as kennel-huntsman and first whip. 



For want of a house nearer the kennels, the new 

 master settled at Holne Cross, Ashburton. He was 

 not long in making his presence felt in the country 

 and in getting to know and to be known by the 

 people, who were won over at once by his frank 

 manner and kindly consideration. 



It was soon found that the hunt had a huntsman 

 as well as a master in Major Cooke Hurle. With his 

 previous experience of hunting hounds and a ready 

 eye and memory for picking up a new and intricate 

 country, he began at once to shew good sport. 

 Although about fifty years of age, the new master 

 had the appearance and the activity of a much 

 younger man. He had a workmanlike pack full of 

 hunting qualities and he placed great reliance on his 



