LORD SEFTON 81 



would show his visitors plenty of hospitality at Quorn, 

 but would turn his back upon them in the field and leave 

 them far behind. Whatever may have been the quality 

 of the sport during- Lord Sefton's early seasons (it is 

 more than probable that it was a good deal better than 

 some of the grumblers tried to make out), it was at any 

 rate of a satisfactory nature during Lord Sefton's last 

 season, 1804-5), f° r run s came thick and fast, especially 

 in the forest and in the Six Hills district. 



Towards the close of 1804 Lord Sefton, to the 

 general regret, announced his intention of giving up the 

 country, offering at the same time his hounds and horses, 

 together with a liberal subscription (to which it was 

 understood the usual followers of the Hunt would contri- 

 bute) to Mr. Loraine Smith, if he would become master, 

 and the general opinion is said to have been that Mr. 

 Loraine Smith was the only man in the country who 

 would be equal to the task of carrying on so great an 

 undertaking. This statement, which is made in the 

 Sporting Magazine for March 1804, does not, however, 

 square with a letter written by Lord Sefton, dated Gros- 

 venor Square, April 14, 1804. The letter in question, 

 which is quoted in Mr. J. Cradock's " Literary and Mis- 

 cellaneous Memoirs," states : " I beg leave to inform you 

 that Lord Foley having now a share with me in the 

 hounds, we shall in future have to return our joint thanks 

 for those indulgences which we cannot help hoping the 

 Hunt will continue to receive from you." As Lord 

 Foley therefore had a share in the hounds as early as 

 the spring of 1804, it is not easy to understand why 

 Lord Sefton should have offered hounds and horses to 

 Mr. Loraine Smith, especially as he was succeeded by 

 Lord Foley in 1805, and it was said that Sir Henry 

 Peyton "had a wheel" in the Quorn coach, though his 

 name never appeared. 



