384 THE QUORN HUNT 



measured speech. " I could not hold my stupid horse," was 

 the offender's explanation. "Those that can't should stay at 

 home," retorted Mr. Cradock. "Let me know the days on 

 which you are master, and I will," replied the transgressor ; 

 but ere the sun had set Mr. Cradock went up to the rider of 

 the grey and begged that his " transient ebullition might be 

 earthed, for it was earthy." Mr. John Cradock married a 

 daughter of Mr. Robert Piper, of Yorkshire, and died in 1838 

 from influenza — so the fiend was about even then. 



The next of the family to become prominently connected 

 with the Quorn was Mr. Thomas Cradock, presumably his 

 brother, as Mr. John Cradock left no issue. He appears to 

 have been secretary during the mastership of Sir Richard 

 Sutton, for he defended the baronet when he was sued for 

 trespass in the county court by a tenant farmer for damage 

 committed by riding over his land. Mr. Thomas Cradock, 

 " the assessor of damages " — for he it was who held the balance 

 at the season's end, and listened to the wail of the complaining 

 farmer — while denying that any damage had been committed, 

 offered the farmer a reasonable sum, but the offer was refused, 

 the farmer hoping to " strangle fox-hunting altogether." Into 

 the box went the plaintiff, and swore to a man wearing a velvet 

 cap riding over his land. Mr. Cradock thereupon proved that 

 many followers of the Quorn wore black velvet caps — " dashers " 

 they were called in the time of Mr. Meynell. The offender wore 

 a red coat, urged the farmer, and Mr. Cradock, in his blandest 

 tones, pointed out that more than half of the followers of Sir 

 Richard's hounds were similarly arrayed, so as the farmer 

 could not swear that Sir Richard Sutton was the trespasser, 

 he was " grassed and saddled with costs," as the hunting people 

 phrased it. 



Sir Richard Sutton was master from 1847 to 1856, in which 

 year he died, and shortly before his decease he decided that 

 " some lasting token of his appreciation of the services rendered " 

 by Mr. Thomas Cradock should be presented to him ; but he did 

 not live to carry out his intention. But the expressed wish of the 

 late baronet was not forgotten by his family, so after some little 

 delay there was a small dinner-party at Quorndon Hall, at which 

 Mr. Cradock, the members of Sir Richard Sutton's family, and a 

 few friends, were present. Mr. Tidd Pratt, one of Sir Richard 

 Sutton's executors, was deputed to offer Mr. Cradock the testi- 

 monial, which consisted of a silver candelabrum with six branches, 



