Eecords of the Old Charlton Hunt 



Duke of Tuscany, then a guest in England, are recorded as 

 having been down to Charlton to witness a fox-chase : and 

 even the softer sex joined in the hunt, held their assemblies 

 in the village, and probably participated in the pleasure of 

 eating a Charlton pie, — a dainty then well known, though 

 now entirely forgotten, — forgotten, as Charlton itself now 

 is : the very traditions have nearly died out ; scarcely a 

 villager can now tell of its former renown, or talk of the 

 good old times. But to keep these in remembrance, to 

 commemorate something of the glories of Charlton, the 

 writer of these few pages has collected such information as 

 may interest those acquainted with the neighbourhood, or 

 loving the sport Charlton was so famous for ; for much of 

 which he is indebted to the courtesy of Charles Dorrien, 

 Esq., of Adsdean House, who possesses a curious MS. 

 account of the Hamlet and the Hunt. 



Charlton, a ty thing of the parish of Singleton, lies in the 

 valley north of the Goodwood hills, and about a mile east 

 of the high road from Chichester to Midhurst. It is now 

 principally remarkable for its " Forest " — a large wood, 

 extending over 800 acres, belonging to the Goodwood 

 estate, but formerly the property of the Fitzalans, Earls of 

 Arundel, w^here this great family enjoyed the pleasures of 

 the chase, having a hunting-seat at Downley, on the verge 

 of the forest, of sufficient importance to be used as an 

 occasional residence ; indeed, two of the Earls are stated to 

 have died at Downley, — Thomas, in 1525, and WilHam, 

 in 1544. 



From time immemorial, therefore, it appears that the 

 woods and pleasant downs of Charlton have been 



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