338 SPORTING REMINISCENCES '[1845 10 



afterwards by Dan Berkshire. And now 

 comes a painful episode in the Vine history, 

 which, as a truthful historian, I am bound to 

 relate. 



1S58 His lordship was succeeded by 



Mr. Thomas Mr. Marsh (or rather Mr. Walker) 



Marsh 



alias who was related to Sir Watkin 



Wynn's, well known and respected 



huntsman. Mr. Marsh had previously kept 



and hunted hounds in Herefordshire for two 



seasons. He was a light weight and a very 



fine horseman. It is said that he had once 



lived with Sir Richard Sutton as stud-groom, 



and, in that capacity, had bought hunters for 



his master in the North of Hants. Shortly 



after his arrival, he was recognised and 



addressed as Walker, but he stoutly denied 



his identity. On the 25th of February, 1859, 



he was summoned before the magistrates of 



Kingsclere, Mr. Melville Portal being the 



chairman of the Bench, and charged with 



causing a fox to be cruelly tortured on the 



morning of Sunday, January 30, contrary to 



the provisions of the 12th and 13th Vic. c. 92. 



The prosecution was instituted by the Society 



for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 



From the evidence of William Searle, the 



head whip, it appeared that a fox was run to 



