186 THE QUORN HUNT 



while he was also an excellent man in the kennel. But 

 Yorkshire and Leicestershire differ widely in their re- 

 quirements, and when Webb came into the shires, 

 " Nimrod," who happened to be down there at the time, 

 voted him slow, and other people taking up the cry, 

 Mr. Hodgson drafted him and took on Tom Day in 

 his stead. 



Mr. Hodgson's new huntsman (Day) had a long and varied 

 career with hounds. He is said to have begun life with a sporting 

 farmer who kept some harriers in Notts or Lincolnshire ; thence 

 he went as second whipper-in to Mr. Foljambe and Lord Scar- 

 borough, remaining with the latter master three years. He was 

 born in 1798, and, as he went to Lord Scarborough when about 

 eighteen years old, he would have left him about the year 18 19. 

 It is then said that he went as wbipper-in to Mr. Osbaldeston, 

 who was at that time at Quorn, and after a short stay with the 

 Squire he was engaged to Sir George Sitwell as huntsman, and 

 then when he gave up his pack Tom Day went to whip in to 

 Assheton Smith in the Tedworth country, where he remained for 

 about three seasons. His next place was as whipper-in under 

 old Will Boxall with the Warwickshire, and on Boxall's retire- 

 ment he was appointed huntsman, and from all accounts he 

 hunted the Warwickshire for about five or six years. At the 

 beginning of the season 1 840-41, we find Tom Day as huntsman 

 to the Quorn under Mr. Hodgson, he being at that time forty-two 

 years of age and "decidedly turning grey." In the Quorn 

 country he remained for no fewer than eighteen seasons, acting 

 as huntsman for Mr. Hodgson, Mr. Greene, and Sir Richard 

 Sutton ; and then when the Quorn country was divided Mr. 

 Tailby took him on, authorised him to get a pack of hounds 

 together, which he did, and he hunted them for one season, at 

 the expiration of which he quietly settled down in the village of 

 Quorn, where he lived till he died at the beginning of 1878. 



Nature, it would seem, had built Tom Day on the lines of a 

 jockey ; he is said to have ridden but a few pounds or so over eight 

 stone ; he was a fine horseman with beautiful hands, thoroughly 

 understood his business, was very popular, and was, as one of 

 Mr. Hodgson's followers said, " very intelligent and the best- 

 mannered person we have had here for some time." While Tom 

 Day was huntsman to the Quorn he had his full share of falls, 

 but escaped all injury ; yet his death was hastened by a fall 



