EARL OF LONSDALE 375 



THE EARL OF LONSDALE 



THE next master of the Quorn was the Earl of 

 Lonsdale, to whom the farmers presented a peti- 

 tion begging him to take the country in the interests of 

 fox-hunting. Lord Lonsdale became master, and at the 

 Puppy Show held in September 1893 spoke pretty plainly 

 about the finance department of hunting. Scarcely had 

 the season 1893-94 opened before the master issued a 

 circular-letter on the subject of second horsemen. He 

 requested those who had second horses out to give 

 orders to their servants to ride with his own second 

 horseman, to jump no fences, and that the last through 

 a gate should shut and hasp it. It was his further wish 

 that second horsemen should confine themselves entirely 

 to roads, lanes, and bye-paths over which there was a 

 right-of-way. The opening fixture of the season, by the 

 way, was Kirby Gate, whence the first draw has for a 

 long time been Gartree Hill, whither a goodly number of 

 people thoughtlessly made their way, oblivious of the 

 fact that there had recently been a death in the family 

 of the owner of the covert. Lord Lonsdale therefore 

 drew Welby Osier Beds first, hut only moderate sport 

 followed. 



Lord Lonsdale apparently intended to show the 

 farmers of the hunt that they were not forgotten, and he 

 at the same time reminded his followers that they were 

 in duty bound to buy their forage, &c, from the farmers 

 over whose land they rode. In his endeavour to bring 

 producer and consumer together the new master caused 



