12 The Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Hunt. 



the first official list of hounds was issued in 1852 — as the territory then 

 comprised portions of the two counties, hounds being frequently seen in 

 Lanarkshire. John Harrison was appointed as huntsman, and season 

 1 849- 1850 opened with a meet at Craigends on 20th October, when a plentiful 

 supply of foxes was forthcoming, and a gallop of thirty minutes formed 

 the chief item of the day. On the following Tuesday hounds were at 

 Gleniffer, and in the course of this day's sport one fox was killed. 



Cathcart Bridge was the place of tryst on 27th November, and on this 

 occasion a fine run of two hours and ten minutes was brought off. 



In Lanarkshire, meets were held at Bellshill, Drumpellier, New 

 Monkland Church, and other places, and while Sir David Buchanan's first 

 season may be described as fairly successful, the aggregate of kills only 

 amounted to three and a half brace. Half a dozen blank days were 

 experienced. 



Matters improved considerably in the succeeding season which opened 

 earlier, for, after a few days' cub-hunting, an advertised meet was held at 

 Houston Kennels on 8th October, 1850. Since this date Houston has been 

 the recognised place of tryst for the opening of the season, and is as well 

 known in the county as Kirby Gate with the Quorn Hunt. Following this 

 was a capital afternoon's sport, one run occupying nearly three hours, with 

 a kill at the end of it. What is known as the Houston country was apparently 

 well stocked with foxes at this period, the sport in this district being par- 

 ticularly good, and in the course of the season a total of eleven and a half 

 brace of foxes were accounted for. There were, however, ten blank days — 

 mostly in Lanarkshire. 



The opening of season 1851-1852 was at Houston village on 28th 

 October, and when this campaign closed on 17th March it was found 

 that eleven brace of foxes had been killed, there being only one blank day. 

 The number of runs of any importance each season up to 1862 ranged from 

 twenty to thirty, but blank days were rather frequent, and the record of 

 kills never exceeded twelve brace in any season. It is impossible to give a 

 detailed account of the sport, and the records I have referred to will suffice 

 to convey an idea of what foxhunting in Renfrewshire was like at that period. 



In 1862 Harrison was succeeded as huntsman by John Squires, who was 

 evidently keen on blooding the hounds, for in his first four seasons he 

 handled about seventy brace of foxes, or an average of seventeen and a half 



