hounds hunting six days a week. Unwilling entirely to sever his connexion with the hunt, he made an arrangement under which the country was divided, and with this division the 'Old Burton' hunt passed into history. Mr. Chaplin retained the southern portion under the name of the Blankney (q.v.), and the northern half of the country, known since 1871 as the Burton, passed under the rule of Mr. F. J. S. Foljambe, son of the master of the Grove, who had as his huntsman Will Dale. Mr. Foljambe soon got together an excellent pack of hounds, bred chiefly from the Grove strains, and he hunted his country four days a week, and showed admirable sport until he retired in 1880. He was followed by Mr. W. R. Erskine Wemyss, who in his turn gave way (1882) to Mr. C. P. Shrubb. Mr. Shrubb held office till 1885, when Mr. Wemyss had another turn of mastership, but with a somewhat reduced country, a portion having been lent to Mr. G. Jarvis. Both Mr. Wemyss and Mr. Jarvis retired in 1888, and Mr. Thomas Wilson took over the Burton country in its entirety. He laid the foundation of his pack by purchasing Mr. Jarvis's hounds, which boasted many of the best strains of blood, the Old Burton being strongly in evidence. Mr. Wilson, who carries the horn himself, has continued to breed on these lines ever since, going back to Old Burton blood whenever possible, and breeding only from the best working bitches and best working sires. For outside crosses of blood he has turned to the Belvoir, the Brocklesby, Lord Galway's, and the Southwold. Purchasing the estate at Riseholme, he there built new kennels, after Lord Herries's plan, with accommodation for eighty couples of hounds. There are plenty of puppy walk. He has a splendid stud of well-bred horses, and to encourage hunter-breeding in his country he gives the mares to the farmers when their hunting days are over, stipulating that he is to have first refusal of the foals.
The boundaries of the hunt were as follows: From Gainsborough on the north, by way of Springthorpe, Willoughton, Snitterby, Bishops Norton, Glentham, Toft Newton, West Rasen, and Lissington, to Hainton, on the Brocklesby borders; and southward from Hainton, with the Southwold for neighbour, by way of Sturton, Baumber, Hemingby, Waddingworth, and Southry, to Billinghay. The Belvoir boundary on the south was by way of Bloxholme, Stragglethorpe, and Barnby in the Willows to Newark. The Trent, from Gainsborough to Newark, was its western boundary. But the Blankney now hunt as far south as Sleaford, the rest of the boundary being much the same as in Lord Henry's time. A line from Kettlethorpe to Lincoln, and thence to the Southwold border, may be said to mark the division of the Burton and Blankney countries as at present. The present Burton country is some 22 miles in extent from east to west, and 16 from north to south. It is a ditch country, for the most part plough, but carrying a rare scent, and with every variety of fence. There are a few big woodlands, the Wragby Woods being the largest.
Sidney Dale (son of Mr. Foljambe's old huntsman, Will Dale, afterwards with Lord Yarborough and the Duke of Beaufort) is first whipper-in; he hunts hounds in the master's absence.
The Burton Hunt point-to-point meeting, after having lapsed for about fifteen years, was re-established in 1901. The course is at Walesby, over part of the old Market Rasen steeplechase course. In 1901 the programme consisted of a members' race for a cup given by Mrs. Wilson, wife of the master, and a farmers' race for £20. The second year an open race was added, and the next included a yeomanry race for a cup given by Mr. E. Larken. In 1905 the events were the farmers' race, won by Mr. J. G. Nicholson's Stella; the open race, won by Mr. J. D. White's Noble Bentinck; Mrs. Wilson's cup, won by Mr. W. E. Cartwright's Patience; Try Again open race, won by Mr. E. Davy's Dogger Bank. Also a sporting match of £5 a side between Mr. J. H. Bainton's Saxon and Mr. E. Larken's Bristles, owners up, 14 st. each; two miles. The race was run in twenty minutes, and the competitors between them took nine falls, Bristles winning alone. The course at Walesby has four 'made' fences, the others being natural. In 1906 the venue of the Burton Hunt Steeplechases was moved to a new course at Burton, three miles from Lincoln.
THE BLANKNEY HUNT
The Blankney Hunt dates from the year 1871, when the Old Burton territory was divided. Its boundaries extend from Lincoln to Leadenham, some eleven miles from north to south, and from Newark to Sleaford, about twenty miles from west to east. Kettlethorpe is the most northerly meet, Skellingthorpe and Hartsholme Hall being nearest to Lincoln; North Clifton, Besthorpe, Collingham, and Coddington Hall the most westerly; Gautby is on the extreme north-east; Barnby Manor, Sleaford, and Asgarby are on the south; while Haverholme, Digby, and Kirkby Green are fixtures on the east. The Burton hounds hunt the country on the north; the Rufford and Lord Galway's on the west; the Belvoir on the south; and the Southwold on the east. When the Blankney country was created for the reasons given on a previous page, Mr. Henry Chaplin built the existing kennels at his country seat, Blankney Hall, and a committee was formed with Colonel Edward Chaplin as master. That gentleman continued in office till 1877, when Mr. Chaplin took the reins and continued
