The Rev. Jack Russell, M.F.H. and M.O.H. 45 



But again poor Mr. Russell found himself obliged to part 

 with his treasures, for much the same reason as before. The 

 hounds had actually left the kennels, starting for new homes, 

 when Mrs. Russell could not stand her husband's look of dejec- 

 tion and persuaded him to keep them, pointing out to him that 

 he had quite as much right to some pleasure as other people ; 

 so back to the kennels they went again, and he hunted hounds 

 without interruption until 1871, when he sold them to Mr. 

 Henry Villebois in Norfolk. 



A story is told, and well known in the west country, of 

 Bishop Phillpotts, who, when touring his diocese, came across a 

 pack of hounds in full cry, while amongst the field were such a 

 number of black coats he thought there must have been some 

 epidemic in the neighbourhood to account for so many men 

 being in mourning. He conversed with his chaplain on the 

 subject ; he, being a wise man, held his tongue, and everybody 

 enjoyed themselves, the Bishop in his own particular way, the 

 black-coated gentlemen in their own particular way. I do 

 not know about the chaplain, by the way ; he may have 

 been longing to join the black coats disappearing in the 

 distance. 



Mr. Villebois, who bought Mr. Russell's hounds, introduced 

 the old sportsman to the Prince of Wales (King Edward VII.) . 

 He became a great favourite at Sandringham ; both the Prince 

 and Princess of Wales liked him. He was staying there in 1873 

 and danced the old year out and the new year in with beautiful 

 Princess Alexandra. The Prince had told him to bring a 

 sermon with him ; this he did, and preached in the pretty little 

 church in the grounds of Sandringham, close to the house. 

 The sermon gave pleasure to His Royal Highness, who compli- 

 mented the sporting parson on his eloquence and charm of 

 language. 



He stayed with his Royal host and hostess again in 1876. 

 It was Mr. Russell who acted as pilot to the Prince when first 

 he hunted with the Devon and Somerset stag -hounds, and a 

 better man could not have been chosen. One of Mr. Russell's 

 most cherished possessions was a tie-pin which the Prince had 

 given to him, and put into his scarf with his own hands. 



I am one of the people who regret the passing of the Sporting 

 Parsons ; they were fine, manly, sky -pilots. Far be it from me 



