PAGE CHAPTER I. THE MARSH AND FOREST PERIODS. The Hawk an Acquisition to Sportsmen—Hawk aeries—Hawks 8 according to Degrees—Brook and other kinds of Hawking—Hawking and Hunting—A Shropshire Historian’s charge against the Conqueror—Bishops and their Clergy as much given to the Sport as Laymen—The Rector of Madeley—The Merrie Days, &c. CHAPTER II. MORFE FOREST. Morfe Forest one of the Five Royal Forests of 17 Shropshire—Its History and Associations—Early British, Roman, Danish, and Norman Mementoes—Legends and Historical Incidents—Forest Wastes—Old Names—Hermitage Hill—Stanmore Grove—Essex Fall—Foresters—Old Forest Lodge, &c. CHAPTER III. ROYAL CHASE OF SHIRLOT. Royal Chase of Shirlot—Extent—Places 31 disafforested—Hayes—Foresters—Hunting Lodge—Priors of Wenlock—Curious Tenures—Encroachments upon Woods by Iron-making Operations—Animals that have disappeared—Reaction due to a love of Sport—What the Country would have lost—“The Merrie Greenwood”—Old Forest Trees, &c. CHAPTER IV. THE WREKIN FOREST AND THE FORESTERS. The Wrekin Forest and the Foresters—Hermit of Mount St. 54 Gilbert—Poachers upon the King’s Preserves—Extent of the Forest—Haye of Wellington—Robert Forester—Perquisites—Hunting Matches—Singular Grant to John Forester—Sir Walter Scott’s Anthony Forster a Member of the Shropshire Forester Family—Anthony Forster Lord of the Manor of Little Wenlock, and related to the Foresters of Sutton and Bridgnorth—Anthony Foster altogether a different Character to what Sir Walter Scott represents him CHAPTER V. WILLEY. Willey, Close Neighbour to the Royal Chase of 70 Shirlot—Etymology of the Name—Domesday—The Willileys—The Lacons—The Welds and the Foresters—The Old Hall—Cumnor Hall as described by Sir Walter Scott—Everything Old and Quaint—How Willey came into possession of the Foresters CHAPTER VI. THE WILLEY SQUIRE. The Willey Squire—Instincts and Tendencies—Atmosphere of 77 the times favourable for their development—Thackeray’s Opinion—Style of Hunting—Dawn of the Golden Age of the Sport, &c. CHAPTER VII. THE WILLEY KENNELS. The Willey Kennels—Colonel Apperley on Hunting a hundred 83 years ago—Character of the Hounds—Portraits of Favourites—Original Letters CHAPTER VIII. THE WILLEY LONG RUNS. The Willey Long Runs—Dibdin’s fifty miles no figure of 93 speech—From the Wrekin to the Clee—The Squire’s