A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



the club made a new gorse cover at Wollaston ; 

 the Shelton Gorse was also planted by the 

 club. 



HARRIERS AND BEAGLES 



The Biggleswade Harriers were established 

 early in the 1 9th century, and were the property 

 of Mr. Wells. He subsequently — about 1825 

 or 1826 — gave them to Mr. Barnett of Stratton 

 Park, who afterwards — about 1829 — parted with 

 them and took the Cambridgeshire Hounds. 

 Mr. John Race, father of the present venerable 

 master, Mr. George Race, had acted as amateur 

 whipper-in, and, feeling the loss of the harriers, 

 determined to get a pack together. The founda- 

 tion of the pack was laid under curious circum- 

 stances. Mr. John Race, who then lived at 

 Shortmead, purchased three hounds, one of which 

 was in whelp. He took the two on to Biggles- 

 wade Common, and found a hare. The pregnant 

 bitch was left at home ; but hearing her com- 

 panions in full cry she joined them in the chase. 

 The exertion, however, caused her to throw 

 her litter in the open : the puppies became 

 the ancestors of the present pack.' In 1840 

 Mr. George Race took command, and by his 

 energy and knowledge of hound-breeding soon 

 brought the Biggleswade Harriers to a high state 

 of perfection. They showed great sport and 

 several famous runs. In 1847 occurred a wonder- 

 ful run. Finding an outlying stag in Southill 

 Park, they ran to within a mile of Leighton 

 Buzzard, 17 miles as the crow flies, in an hour 

 and a quarter, without a check. In 1853 

 Mr. George Race sold the bulk of his pack for 

 a high price to a French nobleman, keeping back 

 five of his best bitches. Gravity, Stella, Maiden, 

 Matchless, and Midnight. He then bought 

 some more hounds, and from them and the 

 bitches he had retained built up another good 

 pack, the descendants of which now constitute 

 the Biggleswade Harriers. Some years ago 



Mr. Race, compelled by rheumatism to give 

 up riding, enlisted the assistance of Mr. G. Pope, 

 who hunted the hounds with ability for thirteen 

 years, and showed excellent sport. Mr. G. Arch- 

 dale next carried the horn, thus hunting the 

 pack which about a century before had been 

 founded by his great-grandfather. This season 

 (1907) Mr. Stanley P. Davis hunts the pack. 

 Mr. George Race continues to hold the master- 

 ship, and although now ninety years of age 

 hunts regularly on wheels ; he is the oldest 

 master of harriers in the United Kingdom. 



Another pack of harriers, now belonging to 

 Mr. Edward Owen Carpenter, was, half a 

 century ago, in the hands of Mr. Macan of 

 Elstow. Late in the 'sixties Mr. W. Carter 

 Mitchell took them, and hunted a great portion 

 of the country which had been previously hunted 

 by Mr. Macan. In 1883 Mr. Carpenter, who 

 had whipped-in for Mr. Mitchell, took the pack 

 and still retains them, having Charles Alley as 

 whipper-in and kennel-huntsman. 



The Chawston Beagles are hunted by Mr. W. J. 

 Addington of Colesdon Grange, who enjoys a 

 very high reputation among the hunting men of 

 the district. Mr. Whitchurch of Great Barford 

 acts as whipper-in. 



Otter-hunting has not been carried on to a 

 great extent in Bedfordshire. The Ouse, in its 

 course through the county, is too large ; and 

 very few of the smaller streams hold many 

 otters. In 1378 letters-patent dated Dunstable 

 were granted to Ralph and Geoffrey, king's 

 otter-hunters [lutrarii), according them permis- 

 sion to exercise their office where they can and 

 where they will, without let or hindrance, in 

 respect either of their nets or lances.* In recent 

 times Sir Henry Hoarc got together a pack and 

 hunted for a few seasons, Mr. W. Carter Mitchell 

 joining him as whipper-in. When Sir Henry 

 gave up, the hounds were made over to the 

 Bucks Otter Hunt, which has since visited the 

 waters of the county on occasions. 



RACING 



FLAT RACING 



The earliest organized race meeting held in 

 the county appears to have been that at Leighton 

 Buzzard ; it was so little known to fame that 

 John Cheney, when compiling his Historical 

 List of all Horse Matches, &c., in 1727, placed 

 the meeting under the heading of Buckingham- 

 shire ' upon a wrong information as to the 

 situation of this town,' as he informs us in the 



' The writer is indebted for information to Mr. C. 

 S. Lindsell (great-grandson of Mr. Wells) and Mr. G. 

 Race, M.H. 



next volume. Leighton races at this period 

 were of very local interest ; the horses running 

 for the modest stakes offered were for the most 

 part the property of the local gentry ; but the 

 names of the Duke of Hamilton, Sir John 

 Newdigate, Sir Arthur Hazelrigg, and the 

 Hon. Mr. Bertie, who ran horses at many 

 meetings in the midland counties, also occur 

 frequently as owners. The sport was much of 

 the same class as that shown at other country 

 meetings: in 1728 the programme consisted of 

 two races run in heats, one a ^^15 prize for 



* Cal. Pat. 1377-81, p. 176. 



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