EARL OF STAMFORD 255 



On Saturday, 27th September, Ferneley's paintings and sketches 

 were disposed of on the late owner's premises. The catalogue 

 contained eighty lots, consisting of sketches of hunting, shooting, 

 deerstalking, &c. ; portraits of Bay Middleton, Riddlesworth, 

 Rowton, Attila, &c. ; portraits of famous jockeys, and numerous 

 sketches in oils made for Mr. Osbaldeston. 



In September 1857 Lord Stamford lost a horse in 

 a somewhat curious manner. Treadwell, the huntsman, 

 was one day riding it out at exercise with the hounds, 

 when a violent thunderstorm came on. The horse, 

 which was much frightened, became very ill, so Tread- 

 well dismounted and bled it ; but, as it became worse 

 instead of better, it was left at the roadside in charge of 

 one of the whippers-in, and there it died before a veteri- 

 nary surgeon could arrive. The death was attributed 

 to palpitation of the heart, induced by the fright at the 

 thunder and liorhtninQf. 



At the opening of the season 1857-58 Melton was 

 tolerably full, as early in November the principal studs 

 were — Lord Wilton, 23 ; Mr. Coventry, 20 ; Mr. Lester, 

 13; Mr. Read, 13; Sir George Wombwell, a dozen; 

 besides many others which did not reach double figures. 

 " As many horses as they have at Newmarket," as an 

 enthusiastic sportsman wrote. 



As had been the case with Sir Richard Sutton and 

 other popular masters, the course of hunting did not 

 run quite smoothly with Lord Stamford, as we find him 

 being warned off by a Mr. Allen, though the details 

 are somewhat shrouded in obscurity. It seems, how- 

 ever, that the tenant, whoever his landlord might be, 

 had raised some question in connection with unexhausted 

 improvements ; but as his term had yet six months more 

 to run, it was rather premature to ask other farmers to 

 subscribe to enforcing compensation. It would have 

 been quite soon enough to agitate when compensation 

 was refused. 



