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CHAPTER YII. 



THE LATE HENRY AV. BRISCOE, ESQ., D.L., M.E.H. 



Reference to Briscoe in the Curraghmore History— The Author's Mentor— His Birth— 

 Tinvane— His Father— His Crest— T. CD.— His Man-iage— His Father's Harriers— His 

 Foxhunting the Welch Mountains— His Right to that Country— How Hunted— Good 

 Sport— Sale of his Pack to Lord Waterford— The Kilkenny Hunt— Mr. Briscoe as a 

 Eider to Hounds— As a Judge of Hunting— Briscoe's Recovery to Health in 1870— 

 Chosen Master of the Kilkennys— Dissensions in that Hunt— How he Healed them— As 

 Master of the Kilkennys — Sport shown — Errors cox'rected by Author — Briscoe as M.F.H. 

 — Particulars of his various Qualifications — Long reference— Briscoe in Society — How 

 Appreciated by the Ladies— Among his Own Family— D.L. and J. P.— As a Country 

 Gentleman— His Sound Judgment— He first Imported Thoroughbred Stallions— Their 

 Kames— Their Success— Not fond of Racing— As a Shot— His Breed of Pointers— His 

 Faults— jSTo Vices— Never Drank at Night— Never Gambled— His Jealousy— Hatred of 

 Smoking— Great Friend of the Author— Author's Mode of Humouring him— How he got 

 Information— Where got— When got— Results— Author's enjoyment at Tinvane— 

 Sunday-school— Foxhound Kennels— Author's notion upon them in general— The 

 Tinvane Kennels- Compared with Swell Kennels— Construction of Kennels— Briscoe's 

 Popularity— His Good Health— His last Illness— His Death— His Age— His Funeral— 

 —Melancholy Coincidence— Briscoe and Foxhunting in Waterford died together— Too 

 True— A Verse to his Memory— Peace to his Manes ! 



I HAVE had necessarily to make reference to Mr. Henry Briscoe in my 

 history of the Curraghmore Hunt, I shall, however, devote a chapter 

 of my book to further mention of the man from whom I learned the 

 little 1 know of the rudiments of the noble science of foxhunting, and 

 under whom, while Master of the Curraghmore, I enjoyed such 

 magnificent sport during the eleven best years of my life. Besides, he 

 was for many years, and up to his death, one of my most intimate 

 friends. However, what will be a better reason to my readers for 

 giving this biography is that, to the foxhunting community of his time, 

 he was a brilliant light, and well known as an M.F.H. 



Henry Whitby Briscoe, D.L. and J. P., was born on September 29, 1809. 

 He came from a good old stock (as we say in Ireland), who for generations 

 owned the Tinvane estates, and resided at the old hall which is 

 situated about a mile and a half from Carrick-on-Suir, on the 

 immediate confines between counties Tipperary and Kilkenny. His 

 father was a great sportsman of the old school, and loved coursing to 

 a degree, while his breed of greyhounds was quite famous. I refer to the 

 fact to bring in the curious coincidence that the crest of the family 

 is a greyhound running with a hare in his mouth. 



The subject of ray chapter as Fellow Commoner took his degree with 

 honours in Trinity College, Dublin. He succeeded to the property upon 

 the death of his father in about 18.32, and soon afterwards married 

 Deborah, eldest daughter of Mr. Shaw of Annefield. 



From his boyhood he was passionately fond of field sports. His 

 father kept a pack of harriers, which were taken in hand by young 



