An Account of The Wilton Hunt, by Ralph Greaves

An Account of The Wilton Hunt, by Ralph Greaves:

EARLY HISTORY

Though the Wilton Hunt – or “Lord Radnor’s Hounds” as they were then called, did not come into existence till 1869, yet the country itself has a much earlier history. For one of the first – if not the first packs of foxhounds of which there is any record kept were by the 3rd, 4th and 5th Barons Arundel at Wardour Castle early in the 17th century, to hunt the country between there and Fordingbridge. When Wardour Castle was dismantled during the Civil Wars, the hounds were kennelled at Breamore, and for a time were loaned to Sir William Goring and Mr. Edward Rooper, on condition that they, “or as many as remayned” should be returned on demand. The pack was eventually continued by the 6th Baron’s son-in-law, Lord Castlehaven, and were sold in 1782 to Hugo Meynell and went into Leicestershire.

The next name of importance is that of Mr. William Wyndham of Dinton near Baverstock, who kept his own pack at Dinton House and hunted the lower end of the Wilton country from about 1780 onwards. Mr. Wyndham was a noted hound breeder of his day. It was he who bred the New Forest Jasper (178?), whom he gave to his friend Mr. Nicholl, Master of that Hunt. Jasper sired the New Forest Justice, who in turn was the sire of the Beaufort Justice ’05, one of the most famous hounds of all time, whose blood is owned by practically every foxhound of the present day. Furthermore, when Mr. J.J. Farquharson began his Mastership in Dorset in 1806, one of the chief foundations of his pack was a draft of very smart bitches from Mr. Wyndham. These were small, being only 21 inches, but first-rate hunting blood.

Mr. Wyndham’s son-in-law, Mr. C.W. Codrington, was yet another famous Master of Hounds and hound breeder, with whom we shall deal later on. Mr. Wyndham died in 1841. His son was Master of the New Forest from 1828 to 1838. Dinton remained in the Wyndham family till 1916, and is now the property of the National Trust.

By the courtesy of Mr. Dowling of Dinton House, I am able to give some extracts from Mr. Wyndham’s hunting diaries, which throw an interesting light on sport at that time. The first entry relates to the “Expenses of the Forest Hounds, 1804.” These, I think, must refer to the New Forest Hounds, with whom Mr. Wyndham had a close connection. We read that the “provision of hounds” was £412, and 6 horses cost £187 to keep. Fuel amounted to £29, two loads of straw cost £7; fern, presumably for bedding the hounds, came to £19, and wages, £158. Earth stopping cost over £100, which shows it must have been done pretty thoroughly. The average cost of oats was 22/6 a quarter.

The entries relating to the season 1820-21 provide interesting reading. It seems that Mr. Wyndham hunted with a good many other packs besides his own. On September 29th, for instance, he was at Faringdon Grove, which sounds like the Craven country. They found (“some people say an otter!”) October 5th at Dinton was blank; on the 23rd they found a litter at Ashdown Park, and persevering on a bad scent, killed. On November 6th he was with Lord Middleton’s Hounds at Brails – obviously the Warwickshire. There seem to have been some rather queer goings on, for we read: “Lost several foxes, at last ran one aground, dug, and found three foxes, one of which they bagged and took two miles into the vale, turned him out, hunted and killed him; they were going to treat the other two in the same way, but were laughed out of it. When I went home.”

On December 19th, Mr. Wyndham’s hounds were at Cockthorpe Park. The first fox was run to the Forest, the second killed at Cockthorpe; a third, from Home Wood, ran to Moulden Wood, was twice headed from the Forest, and killed in Barley Park. On January 30th there is an entry which reads “Sir John Cope at (indecipherable).” These must have been the Bramshill (Garth) hounds on a visit to Mr. Wyndham’s country. For they “found in Compton Coppice, ran him some time and lost him. Found another which I left them running. A very wild concern. I saw the huntsman take the hounds off the line of a fox.” Evidently not Mr. Wyndham’s hounds!

In March Mr. Wyndham evidently went on a hunting tour; for we find him meeting Mr. Chaworth Musters’ hounds at Gedling in the South Notts country, and Mr. Savile’s in the adjoining Rufford country. On his way home he had a day with the Oakley, and was hunting again at Groveley Wood on April 11th.

The following season he appears to have hunted mostly in his southern country, round Dinton, Fovant Hut, Fifield and Odstock. 10 brace were killed before Christmas, with another five brace to ground. On December 15th there was a good day from Ditchley, which is worth quotation. “Ran about the woods some time, into a drain in the garden, bolted him at half past three in the middle of hounds. Went away to Henley Knapp, back to the woods near to Woodleys, turned to the left through Glympton Wood under Glympton Park wall, over the brook and killed him near Wortonheath at five o’clock, longer after sunset than I ever saw one killed. So dark at the time that I could not distinguish one man from another or a blue from a red coat.”

On January 30th Mr. Codrington’s hounds met at Stockton Wood, ran to Groveley, and killed in Baverstock Firs. A few days later Mr. Farquharson, (hunting the whole of Dorset at that time) brought his hounds to Fovant Hut, found near Gurston Ashes, and lost in Compton.

February 4th. “The Beeches. Went on a wild goose chase to Bapton; afterwards went into Groveley, ran a change of foxes for some time, and lost near the earths in Trotman’s Wood. Coming home we got upon a fox, ran to Dinton and Compton, back to Dinton, and I stopped hounds near Beggars Bush at dark.”

“February 20th. Dinton. Did not find till we got to Chilmark – killed in quarry.”

During the following March we find another curious entry: “Nine days with the Cattistock.” For what is now the Cattistock was at that time part of Mr. Farquharson’s low country. The latter had a set of kennels at Cattistock for his lower country, hence, probably the reference. Mr. Wyndham then seems to have spent the rest of the season in the New Forest.

There is not much to note in the 1825-26 season, save that Mr. Farquharson seems to have brought his hounds there fairly frequently. Trapping was apparently rather a menace at times, for we read: “Feb. 9th – a three-legged fox. Feb. 10th – a two-legged fox. Feb. 17th – a three-legged fox. April 7th – killed a crippled fox.”

The following season Mr. Wyndham was on his travels again, hunting with Lord Hawke of the Badsworth and Lord Harewood of the Bramham Moor. He makes a curious comment on the latter pack: “ . . . . a very hunting pack of hounds, but much too cry to please me.” He also had a day with the Blankney, and one with the Belvoir. He had his own opening meet at Dinton, and comments – “No sport, no scent, some say no find.” There was a good hunt, however, on November 22nd from Chitterne Clump. “Found in Davis’s Furze, ran to Chitterne Furze, back to Davis’s earth, over his farm by Deptford Inn, over the watermeadows at Bathampton to Stourton, ran the south side of Groveley, to Thornhills then went away for Hurdcott, headed in the watermeadows for Crondells, where he took a turn and went straight through the Horse Shoe, and Burcombe Ivers, and killed him in a turnip field a little above Chalk.”

December 1st. “Chitterne Clump. Found in Moody’s plantation. A wild field, wild hounds, and bad scent, and of course did nothing.”

There was a goodish day on December 11th, when hounds met at Wilton Hare Warren. “Did not find till we got to Barford Heath, ran to Horse Shoe and killed. Found another in the Heath, ran to Horse Shoe, over Compton Park, above the Ivers, over Chiselbury Ring, back to Fovant Gate, through Compton Wood and Park to Barford Heath and killed in Horse Shoe Coppice.”

There is a curious entry for January 11th, 1827. “Met at the Black Dog, Chilmark, with the ralph pack . . . . lots of snow storms.” – “ralph” pack. I confess, defeats me – a term that has probably fallen into dis-use.

Another good day on March 11th – “Met at Burcombe Ivers, with the young hounds; found in the Furze by Compton Hut, ran into the Ivers, round Chiselbury Ring and hunted up to him in the furze above Compton Ivers, into which he ran; up the hill, down across Fovant field through the Woors, Barn Copse, through Fovant Wood, back again over Compton Earths, over the river above Dinton Mill, through Crondells, up towards Groveley where Shipman’s shepherd headed him back into Powell’s plantation, where we killed him.”

The last entry relating to the Dinton country reads: “April 17th. To please Dundas I drew Winding Wood and Haycroft blank, and offended his tenant by hunting so late.”

As an insight into Mr. Wyndham’s character, there is a pleasing story told of him in Robert Vyner’s Notitia Venatica. Mr. Wyndham’s hounds had met at Groveley and found a leash of foxes, the pack dividing into three bodies. The Master got away with one lot, who killed their fox at Crockerton Firs. Mr. Wyndham then returned home, to find his whippers-in still absent. He then retired to his study and beguiled the time by reading Ovid, the men returning in due course, each with a fox’s mask to his saddle.

In 1824 Mr. Wyndham’s son-in-law, Mr. C.W. Codrington, who had been hunting the old Berks country for the previous ten seasons, brought his hounds to Sutton Veny, near Heytesbury, to hunt the South Wilts country, confining his attentions chiefly to the big woodlands round Maiden Bradley, Great Ridge and Groveley. In 1838 Mr. Codrington exchanged countries with his brother-in-law, Mr. Wm. Wyndham junr., who had been living at Bramshaw and hunting the New Forest country for the past ten seasons. Mr. Wyndham had the assistance of his brother, Frank, and the two of them ran the South Wilts country for a matter of twenty seasons, Frank becoming sole Master in 1848. The hounds that William had brought from the New Forest proved too big and slow, and were sold in 1848, and new pack being got together, chiefly by drafts from Mr. Phillips of the South Oxfordshire. The hounds now returned to the old kennels at Dinton.

The brothers Wyndham gave up in 1859, a Committee being then formed for the South Wilts country, consisting of Messrs. Alfred Morrison, C.B. Jarrett and the Hon. Sidney Herbert (afterwards Earl of Pembroke). The South Wilts country, which included most of the Wilton country at that time, was afterwards hunted successively by Mr. Thomas Paine and Capt. Jarrett, until, on the latter’s resignation in 1867, we find Capt. Alex Wyndham, and his nephew, Mr. John Codrington, as joint Masters of the South Wilts, prior to its amalgamation with the West side of the country, which had languished somewhat after Mr. Horlock had given up his hounds. In the spring of 1868, however, Col. John Everett, of Greenhill House, Sutton Veny, undertook the country round Greenhill, Potterne Vale and Erle Stoke, while Mr. Codrington – Capt. Wyndham having died – gave up several of his western coverts. Mr. Codrington gave up the following season, Col. Everett then taking over both sides of the country, under the title of the South and West Wilts. It was agreed at the time that Lord Pembroke could resume the South Wilts country, should he desire, but this never eventuated.

LORD RADNOR’S HOUNDS

Col. Jarrett having more country than he could do with, a large tract of downs and woodland to the south west of Salisbury was now taken over by the 4th Earl of Radnor of Longford Castle, who had previously been hunting the Old Berks country. The New Forest contributed some of their territory to his lordship, on both banks of the Avon as far as Downton and Harbridge, while Lord Portman gave up territory round Cranbourne and Coombe Bissett. The Tedworth also made a loan of country up to Stockbridge, which was later retracted.

The new hunt, was known as Lord Radnor’s, an excellent pack being formed by drafts from the Berkeley, Bramham Moor, and Lord Portsmouth’s. John Dale, from the Old Berks, was huntsman, and first-rate sport was shown for fourteen seasons, everything being done in the best of style.

When, however, Lord Radnor gave up in 1883, he sold his hounds to the Duke of Richmond for the old Goodwood country, and for the following season there were no Wilton hounds, the country being hunted by the South and West Wilts and New Forest. But in 1884 Lord Somerton revived the Hunt, under the name of the Cranbourne, his pack being kennelled at Woodyates. He gave up three seasons later, selling his hounds at Rugby. The 13th Earl of Pembroke, of Wilton House, then formed another pack, and hunted the country very successfully till 1890, having Dick Stovin, a very experienced man from the Bicester and Heythrop, as huntsman, and breeding a very clever bitch pack.

These were sold, however, in 1890, after which the 5th Earl of Radnor took over, and remained as Master for seven seasons, hunting hounds himself, showing remarkably fine sport, and breeding up a beautiful pack, level in size and colour, and one that could hunt and kill their foxes. His Lordship was recognised as a thorough sportsman by all who knew him, and was readily granted the Master’s prerogative of a somewhat abrupt manner. There is a story I was told, of one of the young Herberts, riding a pony who was a bit too much for her, cannoning into the Master while he was hunting hounds, and receiving a somewhat sharp rebuke. “You’re a horrid old man!” she retorted unabashed, “and I shan’t come out with your hounds any more!” The next day, however, Lord Radnor rode over to Wilton with the offer of a new pony he’d found, rather more suitable, and expressing the hope that the young lady would change her mind.

In 1897 the Hunt became known as the Wilton, under Mr. Walter de Pradine Cazenove. He also had to form a new pack, Lord Radnor having sold his hounds. Some of the latter he purchased, and being a scientific hound breeder, laid the foundations of a really good pack, which he sold to his successor, Mr. Curtis Gallup, on departing for the Woodland Pytchley in 1900. Mr. Cazenove was afterwards Master of the New Forest from 1907 to 1911.

In 1903 Lieut.-Col. H.A. Cartwright began his famous Mastership, which was to last twenty seasons. Mr. Gallup’s dog-hounds were now sold to Mr. Compton of the New Forest, but Col. Cartwright bought the bitches, and during his long reign, bred up a first-rate pack, using the famous Belvoir stud hounds of that period. He bred entirely for Work. “I cannot afford to keep passengers,” he wrote at the time. “All hounds have to draw, hunt a low scent, drive, and throw their tongues, to be of any use where scent is bad, foxes strong and coverts thick.” Maurice Sweetman, his huntsman, had started with Lord Radnor, and was with the Wilton for twenty-three years. At the end of his Mastership, Col. Cartwright gave the hounds to the country.

From 1923 to 1926 Lord Latymer and Lieut.-Col. ffrench-Blake were joint Masters, the latter having joined Col. Cartwright in his last season. Major Connop, from the Tedworth, was then Master for one season, and in 1927 that great Leicestershire sportsman, Capt. Frank Forester, remembered for his 13 seasons mastership of the Quorn, took the Wilton, coming to live at Hurdcott House and, hunting hounds himself, showed grand sport for three seasons, his reign being cut short by a bad fall. Tim Tillbrook was his kennel huntsman. Mr. N.G. Cliff then carried on for one season, when Col. Cartwright again came forward to keep things going, after which Major E. Fitzherbert Wright was Master for one season.

In 1933 Col. Llewellyn Palmer came from the Avon Vale, where his father had been Master before him. Col. Palmer hunted hounds himself, with Tim Tillbrook as kennel huntsman and his son Tom as whipper-in. Good sport was shown to large fields, including many farmers and serving officers. Col. Palmer was laid up with a broken leg in 1935, when Capt. M. Selby-Lowndes hunted hounds, Mr. A.T. Smail, 11th Hussars, also lending a hand. In his last season, Col. Palmer killed 50 brace in 94 days hunting – a record for the country.

In 1937 the Countess of Radnor became joint Master with the late Major A.E. Phillips, D.S.O., of Winterbourne Dauntsey. Major (now Brigadier) Maurice Selby-Lowndes (now joint Master with Lord Bathurst’s) hunted hounds, the Hon. Secretary being Col. W.E. Elliott, C.B., D.S.O., of Barford St. Martin. Major Phillips was a former joint Master of the South Berks, and of the Tedworth.

On the outbreak of War Major Selby-Lowndes rejoined his Regiment, and for two seasons hunting was continued on a much reduced scale under Major Phillips, with a much reduced pack. Then, till 1944, hunting was suspended, when Col. Elliott joined Major Phillips, and hounds went out again.

Under Major Phillips the Hunt made a good post-war recovery. Tom Tillbrook was put on as huntsman, and the pack built up. Capt. I.J.W. Benson, the Hon. Secretary, acted as amateur whipper-in for one season, after which J. Bennett was put in to turn hounds to Tillbrook, these two making a first rate combination.

In 1946 Mr. H.M. Ttrethowan, of Harnham Height, Salisbury, took over the Secretaryship from Capt. Benson, and has so remained. His hard work and enthusiasm during the past eight seasons have been largely instrumental in keeping the Hunt going. On Col. Phillips resignation in 1947, owing to ill-health, the management of affairs was largely left to Mr. Trethowan, acting for the Committee, till in 1948 Mr. lionel Cecil took the Mastership. Mr. Cecil hunted hounds himself, with Tom Tillbrook as first whipper-in and kennel huntsman. There were some unfortunate outbreaks of distemper, but satisfactory sport was shown, largely due to improved earth stopping which had by now been effected.

Mr. Cecil gave up in 1951, subsequently taking the Old Berkeley, where he has Bennett as his kennel huntsman. Tillbrook now went on to the Cattistock as huntsman, where he has done exceedingly well. Two short Masterships now followed, those of Count Maurice Coreth, a nephew of Mr. Cazenove, and S/Ldr. P.E. Barnes, from the Woodland Pytchley, who had Arthur Moody, as kennel huntsman.

In 1953 the Committee again took charge, Mr. D.E. Main, of Lyme Tree Farm, Martin, previously joint Secretary, becoming Acting Master, Moody being put on as huntsman. A more efficient or popular Hon. Secretary than Mr. Trethowan it would be hard to imagine, and the Hunt may indeed count itself fortunate in him and Mr. Main. Among his other activities, Mr. Trethowan seems to run a regular crèche for puppies; for when visiting his home, I found two and a half couple on his lawn – a fine example to other puppy walkers.

The Wilton Hunt Point-to-Point, held over an excellent course at Well House Farm, provides a most successful and enjoyable wind-up to the Season, under the very efficient Secretaryship of Mr. S.E. Scammell.

THE WILTON HOUNDS AND COUNTRY

Through the courtesy of Mr. Main and Mr. Trethowan, I was able to see the Hounds in kennel during my visit. There are 14 couple of dog-hounds and 18 couple of bitches – including a useful entry of 6½ of dog-hounds and 5½ of bitches. Cub hunting was about to start, and they all looked “fit to go,” and as gay as larks. Arthur Moody, who showed his hounds with great despatch single-handed, has them in good condition and under discipline. It is obvious that he has their confidence.

The Trustees for the hounds are Mr. Main, Mr. Trethowan and Major E.J. Mather, the records and pedigrees being tabulated by Mr. Trethowan, who has some good material to work on, and is in process of getting them really sorted. There is a lot of Portman and Badminton blood, which brings a lot of the Meynell Pageant. South and West Wilts brings in Mr. Isaac Bell’s famous Kilkenny lines, including Grasper and Heythrop Valesman, while H.H. blood is also strongly represented.

The veteran of the kennel is Spoiler, in his seventh season, and still looking as though he could run up. By Four Burrow Brigadier ’43, he has 3 lines through Songster ’38 and Spitfire ’34 to a very old Wilton female line, Lord Radnor’s Besom ’96. There is a good four couple of young hounds by Spoiler out of Stella ’50, by the Pytchley Stentor ’47 (Meynell Pageant) Stella going back to yet another old Wilton line, through Faithful ’29 to Crony ’99.

Sportsman ’53 is by South and West Wilts Primate ’48 (Middleton Villager), out of Satchel ’47, who goes back in direct tail female to Besom. He is a tan and white hound, with beautiful neck and shoulders, well put together, with good back and loins, and standing on good feet. His litter-sister, Spitfire, is a very nice bitch of the same type, showing good quality and plenty of substance.

Playful ’52 is another very smart looking bitch, by Portman Drayman ’46, (carrying South and West Wilts Godfrey blood) out of Poppy ’47, who goes back to Besom. Tolerant, attractively tick-marked, came from Major Scott of the Portman, and is by their Lorimer ’47 (Meynell Pageant) out of Major Scott’s W. Waterford Topaz ’47, who carries Dumfreisshire and Brecon blood. She should breed some good ’uns, but unfortunately missed last time. I was very taken too, with a red bitch, Starlight ’51, who came from the Woodland Pytchley. She is beautifully bred, with a top line to Meynell Pageant, and several lines to Godfrey and Tiverton Actor, and has real quality and is a good stuffy bitch.

Of this season’s entry the 1st prize dog at the Puppy Show was Pluto, a typical Badminton dog, who, with his brothers, Playboy and Pembroke, are by the Duke’s Playboy ’51, out of Old Berks Crafty ’48. Plover, a light-coloured hound, has all the symmetry and substance of his famous sire the Portman Playfair ’51, and is beautifully bred, his dam, Portman Lavish ’48, being by N. Cotswold Landlord ’44. This means many lines to Godfrey and Actor. I particularly liked too, the black and white Sailor, one of the Sportsman litter. There are some beautiful bitches too, in this lot, Sarah and Saintly being particularly pleasing. There is also a useful looking 2 couple of dog-hounds in Havlerock, Hancock, Hunter and Hardy, by S. Dorset Demon ’51 out of Harmless ’51. They have the Meynell Pageant on both sides, and are full of Portman blood.

The 1st prize bitch, Precious, by Portman Playfair out of South and West Wilts Titlark ’51, is full of graceful quality, her white colouring showing off her good neck and shoulders. I thought her a bit airy at present, and some might say she was a trifle long, but she looks like galloping, and will furnish out. Promise, placed 2nd to Precious, is by South and West Wilts Primate, and is very attractive, with her tick marking along her neck.

Under the pilotage of the Hon. Secretary, I was afterwards able to see something of the Wilton country. Having visited historic Dinton – one could picture old William Wyndham standing under the stately portico on a hunting morning and speculating on the prospects of a scent in Groveley Wood – we drove through Compton Chamberlayne, Fovant and Broad Chalk, snug little villages nestling under the Downs. We then climbed steeply to the open hills above, with glorious views over cultivated downland, nearly all down to corn. One can imagine it in winter, plough and stubble, a rare country for hound work, and one in which one could see them doing it. A good country to ride over, too, were it not for the inevitable wire of modern farming. This is being energetically tackled, however, hunt jumps, tiger-traps, etc., making it possible to keep in touch with hounds and have a ride.

The coverts and gorses seem strategically placed, and are far enough apart to force a fox to fly, once pushed out into the open. Five and six mile points are no uncommon occurrence, I understand. Coverts such as Vernditch, Knighton and Great Yews are of considerable size, while Martin Wood is a very deep covert, full of foxes, which are difficult to shift.

The country extends southwards as far as Ringwood and Ashley, but from Vernditch we turned eastwards, through the Breamore estate, up to Downton, Charlton and Odstock, through the water meadows of the Avon, a very pleasant vale country, with a proportion of grass, rather heavily wooded and well foxed, I’m told.

The Wilton is fortunate in being a country of big estates, all friendly to foxhunting. Lord Radnor at Longford, and Lord Pembroke (Chairman of the Hunt) at Wilton, are the two biggest and most influential landowners, and the two important names in its history, while the Wilton is very much a farmers’ Hunt, as is shown by the fact that the Acting Master, Mr. Main, was himself a farmer.