28 SPORTING REMINISCENCES [1745 to 



the well-kept lawn, and was surprised by 

 hearing the gardener blame him, saying, 

 "Why neither my master nor my mistress 

 ever ride there." He merely replied, "Don't 

 they ? Why I never saw better riding in all 

 my life; but we shall lose our fox owing to 

 these nasty stinking violets." Lord Stawell 

 kept hounds up to 1796. He once found a fox 

 in Farnham Holt, which he ran to ground at 

 Hurstbourne Park! Mr. Collier, the coach 

 proprietor, and Colonel Beaver, both saw this 

 run. In the Sporting Magazine of that year, 

 p. 46, it says, " He incurred the displeasure of 

 the Hampshire sportsmen by the mode of 

 parting with his fox-hounds, after they had 

 acceded to every proposition made for their 

 support." 



1788. In 1788, the Prince of Wales 



George iv. lived at Kempshot, which was before 

 this occupied by Mr. J. C. Crook, 

 and while there had a pack of stag-hounds, 

 which were afterwards turned into fox-hounds. 

 George Sharp was his huntsman for three 

 years, and he then went to the king's stag- 

 hounds. Sharp saved a good deal of money, 

 and received a pension from the prince until 

 his death. He was buried at Dummer. 

 Charles Davis, the Queen's huntsman, married 



