306 THE QUORN HUNT 



was first whipper-in, while John Goddard, after hunting 

 the Ouorn and Mr. Tailby's hounds, engaged himself 

 to Mr. Musters as stud-groom ; so there was certainly 

 plenty of science and talent in the kennel. 1 



At that time there was no better hunting man in 

 Leicestershire than Lord Wilton, and towards the end 

 of Mr. Musters's first season, that is to say, in March 

 1869, Lord Wilton, while hunting with the Belvoir, 

 rode at a small fence, and his horse overjumping himself 

 came down, and rising at once ran down a steep bank. 

 His rider, who had not lost his seat, though he was 

 minus a stirrup, did his best to steady his hunter, but 

 he overbalanced himself and came down very heavily 

 upon the ground, breaking his left arm, and also a 

 rib. This unfortunate contretemps to one of the best 

 horsemen in Leicestershire naturally cast something 

 of a gloom over Melton Mowbray and its neighbour- 

 hood. 



Taking the season through, it was felt that in the 

 hands of Mr. Musters much had been accomplished to 



Lamerton hounds. On a change of mastership taking place Machin left, 

 and once more devoted himself to horse-breaking until 1885, when he was 

 made huntsman to the Anglesey harriers ; but sustaining a bad fall in his 

 third season, he injured his spine ; his brain became affected, and he died 

 in an asylum after a year's confinement therein. 



1 John Goddard began his hunting career as second whipper-in to the 

 Heythrop under Jem Hills when Lord Redesdale was the ruling spirit of 

 the Hunt, which has for so many years been in the able hands of Mr. Albert 

 Brassey. In 185 1 he became landlord of the White Hart, Chipping Norton, 

 but after a five years' tenure he left that house, and went to hunt the Shrop- 

 shire for one season under Mr. Morris, and then he was engaged by Mr. 

 Tailby, whom he served for seven seasons. Leaving that gentleman in 1863, 

 he hunted the Quorn for three years under Mr. Clowes, and after one season 

 with the Hon. W. H. J. North (afterwards Lord North), of the Bicester, he 

 gave up hunting in consequence of the hold rheumatism had of him. He 

 then, as above mentioned, became stud-groom to Mr. Musters, and no man 

 could have been better fitted for the post, as he was a brilliant horse- 

 man, a capital stableman, and was possessed of a good deal of veterinary 

 knowledge. When Mr. Musters gave up his hounds, John Goddard, who 

 had three sons who served with hounds, went into retirement, living at 

 Lowdham, near Nottingham, where he died rather suddenly on the 14th 

 August 1880. 



