SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN where they had been established by Mr. Sebright, on the site of the present kennels. Mr. Delm Radcliffe, when twenty-eight years of age, formed a clever pack of harriers. These he sold in 1834, when he became master of the Hertfordshire Foxhounds. He proved a most popular master, and greatly improved the pack. He kept a copious diary for nearly sixty years, and during the early part of 1837 had such extraordinary sport that a few extracts are worth quoting. 'January 18, 1837. Met at Lamer Park. Found in Lattimore's Gorse. Ran to Dow- dells away for Sherrards, back by Brocket, over the river to Sandridge, thence to Symond's Hyde to Milwards Park, Hat- field, towards Wrotham, and right-handed into Mymms Great Woods. Two and a half hours without a check. 'January 20, 1837. Met at Hexton, found in Bramingham, and had the most brilliant thing ever seen in this county, getting away with the Woburn fox, over the splendid vale of Toddington six miles in twenty -five minutes turned to left, and ran into him in one hour and twenty minutes without a check. 'On January 23 met at Market Cell, and had two good runs.' February 13, 15, 24, and March i were all good days, and they finished off on March 17 with the celebrated Wendover run, which is thus described in Mr. Delme Radcliffe's diary 'March 17. Kennel. A day of unex- ampled severity. The most extraordinary run upon record in the annals of Herts. Having drawn the Luton country all blank, trotted away at two o'clock to Hamilton's (now Kensworth) Gorse, found, went away in- stantly at twenty minutes to three to Dead- mansea, through the wood and on through Beechwood, Ravensdale and Ashridge, over the common and up to Berkhampstead Castle in fifty-five minutes racing pace ; crossed the London and North-Western Railway (then making) beyond Northchurch, swam the canal, and went on the same pace to Tring Park, thence to Aston Turville, close up to Aylesbury, thence to the left by Wendover to Hampden, where, having beaten every horse out of sight, no satisfactory account could be rendered as to the casualty which saved so gallant a fox. (The fox was found dead in a faggot stack next morning). Boxall, the huntsman, killed Burton's mare, tired two others, and did not get beyond the canal at Tring Park. Jem (James Simpkins, the whip), upon Pippin, the Hon. E. Grimston, E. T. Daniel, M. Evans, Hayward of St. Albans and Goddard of Park Street lived the day through twenty-six miles at least done in two hours twenty-five minutes. Hounds carried a beautiful head throughout, and only one was missing at the end of the day.' Ill health was unfortunately the cause of Mr. Delme Radcliffe's resignation. There is little doubt that his ill health was caused by his devotion to hunting in the winter, and to his anxiety over the publication of his well- known work, The Noble Science, but he hunted and rode well to the last year of his life. Hunting was by no means the only sport in which Mr. Delm Radcliffe excelled. From the day when at Eton he caught the leviathan trout off the Cobler he was an enthusiastic fisherman ; as a game and a pigeon shot he had few equals he on one occasion, after a five days contest, won the 'All England Stakes'; and as a yachtsman he could hold his own against the best sailors of the day. He kept a few racehorses, and was a good amateur jockey. Mr. Delm6 Radcliffe was succeeded in 1 839 by Mr. Brand, afterwards Lord Dacre, who moved the pack to kennels near his resi- dence, The Hoo. Lord Dacre was very fond of hunting. He was a good rider, and rode beautiful thoroughbred horses. Boxall con- tinued as his huntsman for three or four sea- sons, when Jem Simpkins, who had been whip, succeeded him ; but he proved to be as much too slow as Boxall was too quick. In 1857 came Charles Ward, formerly whip to the Cambridgeshire, then called 'Ubiquity Bob,' and generally known as ' Bob ' Ward. He had commenced with squire Osbaldeston when he had the Burton country. Before coming to Lord Dacre he had been with Lord Southampton. No one could beat him for energy or as a horseman ; he would often ' pound ' the whole field over an awkward place, notwithstanding his heavy weight. And the condition of his hounds was always first-class. It was often said that Bob Ward hunted the fox and the hounds hunted him, but no one was more patient on a fair scenting day than he was. In the year 1853 these hounds had the longest run ever recorded. The meet was at Broadwater. They soon found, and hunted their fox for four and a half hours, by which time every horse in the field was knocked up and the hounds enjoyed their kill to themselves. At the end of each hunting season an en- joyable race meeting was held at The Hoo, Lord Dacre's residence, for horses the pro- perty of members of the Hunt Club and the farmers of the country. These were flat races, and were continued for many years. In 1865 Mr. John Gerard Leigh of Luton 351
