The Revs. H. P. Costobadie and J. W. King 55 



which controversy continued to rage for a long time, but which 

 has now been accepted almost unanimously. 



His happy, companionable nature won him many friends, 

 among whom were the " Bishop of Skeffington," father of the 

 Reverend J. R. Davenport, and Mr. de G. Davenport, the well- 

 known sporting correspondent. Mr. Costobadie used to say 

 jokingly, " Never trust parsons, lawyers, or doctors." 



Captain Palisser Costobadie, in his book of the Billesden 

 Hunt, says his father was very tender-hearted, and would not 

 refuse work to any who came to him seeking his help ; like 

 the parson who, being anxious to assist a man out of work, but 

 having nothing for him to do, pointed to a heap of stones in the 

 corner of his kitchen garden, and told him to remove them. 

 When that was carried out, and the man came and asked 

 what next he could do, the vicar, still unable to think of 

 any suitable work, said, " Oh, well, wheel them all back 

 again " ! 



Those were the days when dinner was eaten at the unright- 

 eous hour of three or four o'clock in the afternoon. Once, after 

 an early day's hunting, two sportsmen were invited to stay and 

 dine with one of the hospitable and popular M.F.H.'s in the 

 Quorn country. They gladly accepted the invitation, and so 

 thoroughly enjoyed themselves that it was dark before they 

 mounted their horses to return home. In consequence of the 

 dark, and other reasons, they decided to leave it to their steeds 

 to take them safely home. Faithfully and steadily the horses 

 fulfilled the duty imposed on them, but, unfortunately, the riders 

 had mounted the wrong horses, so each arrived at the home of 

 his friend instead of his own ! 



A favourite spaniel of the vicar's used to cause him some 

 annoyance by coming into church during service. Whenever 

 this happened he always stopped his discourse, and, leaning 

 out of the three-decker, would say, " John, take out that dog, 

 will you ? " This reminds me of an old clerk I used to know, 

 who considered himself an important part of the church service, 

 and that the prayers were not complete without his loud 

 " U-MEN " at the end of each. His son, who was a railway 

 porter by profession, came to stay with him, and went to church 

 on Sunday ; during the sermon he fell asleep, and as he showed 

 signs of falling off his seat his father nudged him. The youth 



