SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN at Hatfield. The numbers in 1631 were 706 red deer and 718 fallow deer. We also find a list of his lordship's horses at Hatfield made in June, 1638 ; those in the stable were thirty-three, about ten of which were harness horses, and the remainder for riding ; and there were some twenty-three more in the park. The second Earl of Salisbury died in 1668, but his successor kept up the pack of hounds, for we find a letter from Lord Worcester to the marchioness, dated December, 1678, saying he had been asked to send some hounds to Hatfield, and as buck and hares were the only animals hunted there, he proposed to send harriers. FOX HUNTING Fox hunting is a comparatively modern sport. Its origin lay in the great damage done by foxes to lambs and poultry, which led to less sportsmanlike methods of dealing with such depredators than are now adopted, for we read of ' a great company of people with dogs of all kinds assembled together to go to such woods and coverts where they thought the foxes were, and so beset the place, some beating the woods, some outside, and some to drive them into the nets.' About the beginning of 1700 public packs of hounds were kept for hunting the stag, the fox and the hare. The Hertfordshire was one of the first packs of hounds that was kept solely for hunting the fox. It was started in 1725 and Mr. John Calvert was the first master, the first kennels being at Cheshunt and Redbourn. They hunted the present Puckeridge and Hertfordshire coun- tries. Previous to 1750 a now almost obsolete style of fox hunting probably existed in Hertfordshire, a style which is still in vogue in some parts of the kingdom, but especially in the northern counties. Most country squires, yeomen and farmers kept a foxhound or two, called 'trencher hounds.' With these 1 boarded out ' hounds an excellent pack was often formed, and capital sport was enjoyed ' at break of day,' such as is commemorated in the good old hunting song, 'D'ye ken John Peel ? ' In 1793 Lady Salisbury became mistress of the Hertfordshire Hounds, and during her reign the hounds were called the Hatfield Hounds. Lady Salisbury's fame as a mistress of foxhounds, and as a daring rider and sports- woman, is very remarkable. She enjoyed the distinction of being one of the first English ladies who gained such a reputation. Many are the tales told of her daring exploits and of her hairbreadth escapes in the hunting field. It was usual for Lady Salisbury to drive to the meets in a carriage drawn by four black horses, with an outrider, her hunters being led by a groom who acted as her pilot. When the meet was at Bramingham (which took place pretty often, as it was her favourite meet) she slept over-night at Mr. Hale's, Kings Walden. The following notes concerning the hounds are found in old numbers of the Sporting Magazine. In the October number for 1793 the following note appears: 'The Marchioness of Salisbury and Mr. Calvert's Hounds (the Puckeridge) have begun to draw the coverts and to draw blood from the cubs in Herts.' Also, ' The proper places for horses to be sent over-night for the Marchioness of Salisbury's Hounds are Hatfield or Waterford (Watford), and for Mr. Calvert's Hounds Ware or Wade's Mill.' October, 1 794. ' A short time since the Marchioness of Salisbury, accompanied by Mr. Hale and Mr. Meynell, one of the oldest foxhunters of the present day, hunted a fox at Hatfield. Reynard contrived, after a run of some length, to evade the hounds ; and at length, instead of a fox, it was dis- covered they had for nearly twenty minutes been running a shepherd's dog, which took refuge in his master's hovel.' In January, 1796, the Hatfield Hounds had a ' gallant ' run. ' Having run a burst of more than an hour, they crossed upon a fresh fox at Bramfield, and clattered him two and a half hours more to earth at Baldock, The two chases, which admitted of no inter- ruption from hard running, were full forty miles in extent. Out of a field of four score only nine were at the finish, at the head of whom was Lady Salisbury.' A note in the Sporting Magazine for January, 1800, states that Lady Salisbury, one of the boldest female riders in the king- dom, relaxes a little with her own foxhounds. Some few years ago she invariably went over the gate ; she now waits with more prudence till the gate is opened. It was not until Lady Salisbury was seventy-eight years of age that she gave up the hounds and ceased follow- ing foxhounds ; and even then she said she thought she was good enough to hunt with the harriers. Her end, though a tragic one, did not take place in the hunting field. She 349
