SIR RICHARD SUTTON 243 



Sir Richard, who was no admirer of staof-huntino- at the 

 best of times, to turn the whole matter into ridicule. 

 When the deer was uncarted, he kept trotting up and 

 down among the horses, and more than once had a good 

 stare at the master of the Burton (Sir Richard Sutton 

 was hunting that country at the time). The deer would 

 not run, so was put back in his cart, Sir Richard Sutton's 

 comment being that it was better than Pzmck. For 

 several years he rented Mrs. Farquharson's moor in 

 Aberdeenshire, and often killed a hundred brace of 

 grouse in a day, while, until he broke his thigh in the 

 Burton country, he achieved no little fame as a deer- 

 stalker. On coming south for hunting, he shot every 

 day on which hounds were not out. 



It speaks well for Sir Richard, too, that all his hunt servants 

 were so much attached to him. When he took over the Burton 

 country he engaged Jem Shirley, an " owdacious man with a big 

 voice," and Jem Wilson, who had formerly lived with Mr. Assheton 

 Smith. When Sir Richard Sutton broke his thigh, as already men- 

 tioned, 1 and there was some chance of the hounds being given up, 

 Shirley was told that he would have to go, but he replied that he 

 would not; and when informed that he would have no wages, he 

 promptly answered that he would stop without any pay. 



He then went into Norfolk with Sir Richard, where he lived 

 in the house, walked, as fast as his increasing waistcoat would 

 let him, with the gentlemen out shooting, and fancied himself a 

 gamekeeper. He was reinstated in his berth as soon as his 

 master got well again, and Jem Wilson remained on as whip. 



Sir Richard Sutton dying in mid-season, some 

 arrangement was necessary for the carrying on of the 

 Ouorn Hunt ; and for this purpose his two sons, Messrs. 

 Richard and Frank Sutton, managed affairs, the former 



1 This is said to have happened owing to the fancy Sir Richard had for 

 riding bad horses. He knew this, however, and would ride almost anything 

 that would jump. The horse which gave him this fall refused several times, 

 and then went crashing through the fence, fell on the edge of the ditch on 

 the other side, with his rider's thigh underneath him, and this lamed Sir 

 Richard Sutton for life. 



