352 FALCONRY 



It is not too much to say that, with the exception of John 

 Barr, Frost has had no rival as an ' all-round ' falconer during 

 the present century, and it is hard to say what perfection the 

 sport, as adapted to modern times and modern methods, 

 might not have attained under his intelligent care and un- 

 failing keenness. As a first-rate sportsman he excelled, and 

 with dog, gun, or hawk was equally good. With an education 

 and an intelligence not commonly met with in persons of his 

 station, he was not only an admirable servant, but an interest- 

 ing companion, clever at all sports, and as such, and as a 

 friend, he will be most regretted by all those who knew him best. 

 Fortunately Frost was not the only English professional falconer ; 

 his brother, Alfred Frost (in the service of Mr. T. J. Mann), 

 George Oxer (formerly falconer to Mr. St. Quintin), now in the 

 service of the Old Hawking Club, both trained under John 

 Frost, are as able to train and fly hawks as either Dutchmen 

 or Scotchmen of fifty years ago. James Retford, falconer to 

 Major Hawkins Fisher, is a pupil of John Pells the younger, 

 and is an able falconer, as also is Cosgrave, now falconer to 

 Lord Lilford, and Peter Gibbs, falconer to the Hon. C. W. 

 Mills, M.P. ; and E. Dwyer, in the service of Major Bingham 

 Crabbe. But with this short list our account of living pro- 

 fessional falconers must close, though other men beside these 

 no doubt exist, well able to train and fly a hawk to the satis- 

 faction of their employers. 



Like many other sports hawking has, especially of late years, 

 been most successfully carried on by means of clubs, or estab- 

 lishments maintained by joint subscriptions. One of the first 

 of these institutions was the Renfrewshire Subscription Hawks, 

 to which John Anderson was falconer, and which had its head- 

 quarters at Barochan Castle, the seat of Mr. Fleming, who 

 seems to have been the master of the hawks until his death 

 about 1812. After that event the hawks seem to have remained 

 at Barochan for many years with Anderson still as falconer, and 

 Sir John Maxwell of Pollock as master. They would appear 

 to have been given up about 1830. 



