SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN HUNTING FOX-HUNTING THE first pack of hounds that we can trace as having hunted the northern part <if Kent, between Canterbury and Maidstone, now icnown as the Tickham country, flourished during the early part of the last century, when Sir Edward Knatchbull kept a pack of foxhounds at Provender. This pack existed for many years under the name of the Provender Hunt, but what became of it or when it ceased to exist is not easy to discover. At a later period Lord Sondes had a pack of foxhounds at Lees Court, and after its dispersal Mr. S. R. Lushington hunted a pack under the name of The Lodge Hounds. Mr. Lushington's venture soon, however, came to an end, whereupon a fresh pack was got together by Mr. Pryce Lade, who acted as master for several years. When Mr. Pryce Lade resigned the master- ship of the hunt established by him, the pack was removed about the year 1825 to kennels near the hamlet of Tickham, after which place they were named, and ever since that time, the pack has been known as the Tickham Hunt. Mr. William Rigden was apparently the first master of the hunt in its new home (although some of the records do not speak of him in that capacity until the year 1832) ; and with the help of a committee he looked after its fortunes for some time, eventually taking the whole management upon his own shoulders. Mr. Rigden continued in this position, with Giles Morgan as huntsman, until 1844, when owing to lack of funds and insufficient support, he gave up the pack, which meanwhile had become his own propert}-, and sold it to Mr. Marriott, who at that time was hunting part of the Essex country. The Tickham country was now without a pack ; but Mr. Lushington again came to the rescue and started a fresh pack, with Temple and Thomas Tipton as his successive hunts- men. So matters continued until 1852, when Mr. Lushington resigned, and Mr. Rigden once more took up the reins of management with a fresh committee to assist him. Tipton continued in the capacity of huntsman, but in 1856 we find Mr. Rigden and Mr. Hall managing the hunt by them- selves. Five years later Tipton, who had been an invaluable servant, severed his con- nexion with the Tickham, and took the posi- tion of huntsman to the South Berks, of vhich Mr. Hargreaves was then master. Mr. Philip Barling was thereupon appointed to the vacant position. Once more, after a more or less prosperous period, the Tickham were in difficulties, and in 1865, again owing to lack of financial sup- port and a lamentable scarcity of foxes, it was decided to break up the estab- lishment, and advertisements appeared in the papers offering the hounds for sale. Before, however, a purchaser was forthcoming a fresh committee took upon themselves the task of trying to set the hunt on its legs once more, and Mr. Rigden consented to continue the mastership. In acknowledgement of his good endeavours the master was the recipient in 1868 of a testimonial, which took the form of a silver centre-piece for the table and was presented to him at a dinner held at Faversham ' in recognition of his services as a thorough sportsman.' In the following year another change in the hunt establishment occurred, W. Fisher succeeding Mr. Barling as huntsman. Fisher only stayed one season and in 1870 was succeeded by J. Machin, who came from the Quorn. A year later a terrible catastrophe occurred 479
