1825.] OF HAMPSHIRE. 69 



tend to prove that if 1807 was not the first 

 year of the races being held, that it was, at any 

 rate, the first of their being reported in the 

 Hants Chronicle. 



This year the great John Warde, 180S. 

 who had previously hunted twenty- ^ n tl ^ arde 

 two seasons in Oxfordshire and N - F - H - 

 thirteen in Northamptonshire, came to the New 

 Forest. This celebrated sportsman earned for 

 himself the appropriate name of the "Father 

 of the Field ;" and is frequently called " Glo- 

 rious John Warde" — " the Father of Fox- 

 hunters." 



In his time the New Forest kennels were 

 first at King's House, and afterwards at Fox 

 Lease. In the year 1814, madness broke out, 

 and he lost forty couple of hounds. 



Abbey, who lived with Colonel Abbey* 

 Cook, was his huntsman. Neverd, who went 

 with him to the Craven, and Zach Goddard* 

 (who was of the same family as Jack and Ben 

 Goddard, of Midland County celebrity), were 

 his whips. 



Mr. Warde had a decided weakness for a 

 large throaty class of hound ; and he put a 

 particular price upon each in the pack. So 



* Some Anecdotes of old Zacb Goddard will be found in Scott and 

 Sebright, pp. 355, 6, 7. 



