The Eton College hunt : $b A short history of beagling at EtonCrossley, Anthony Crommelin
History
The Eton College hunt : $b A short history of beagling at Eton
Crossley, Anthony Crommelin
Beagling; Eton College Hunt -- History
“Not many Masters came out as a rule, but Mr. Robeson and Mr. Slater
were fairly regular attendants, if I remember rightly; also ‘Havvy’
on horseback. I never missed a single day all the time I was at Eton.
Seasons 1900-1904.
“I believe my year was the last of the old Norfolk jacket livery, and I
was sorry they changed it—especially the buttons to brass ones. Next time
I come to Eton I will seek you out and will tell you anything else you
want to know. Anyway I’d rather be Master of the E.C.H. than anything
else. Wouldn’t you?”
C. R. H. Wiggin, now joint Master of the Brocklesby Hounds in
Lincolnshire, also sent me his recollections of beagling at Eton.
“I have always been extremely keen about the E.C.H., and can never forget
how much I enjoyed my hunting at Eton. Season 1902-03 A. F. Lambert was
Master, I myself was first whip, K. I. Nicholl second whip, and St. J.
M. Lambert third whip. Archie Lambert was a fine runner, and won the
School Steeplechase, and was a good Master. He was a great athlete, kept
the Field in which XI. I played myself in 1902, and was also in the
Cricket XI. He died in E. Africa; no better fellow ever lived. As far as
I remember, we only had two days’ hunting in the Christmas Half, one of
them a good day; we found a hare in the field behind the kennels, and
after a good hunt killed her in the Moat which runs round Ditton Park. We
had a good season during the Easter Half of 1903, and beagling was then
very popular at Eton. I regret I have no diary, but I remember one day
from Salt Hill railway bridge. We found on Salt Hill, and killed a good
hare after about an hour. We then found again on Salt Hill, and after a
turn round the hill crossed the G.W.R. and leaving Chalvey on our left
and Butts on our right killed her on the G.W. Railway Slough to Windsor.
Time, 1 hour 15 min.
[Illustration: HIS LUCKY DAY.]
“I remember another topping hunt from Salt Hill with Dorney Village
on our right, and killing a good hare in the Thames above Athens, but
I cannot remember if this was 1903 or the year before; I think 1903.
Nicholl and St. J. M. Lambert have not hunted, I think, much since. I am
at present joint Master and huntsman of the Brocklesby Hounds with Lord
Yarborough, who you will know owns them. Of hounds at my time I fear I
do not remember very much. ‘Comrade,’ walked by myself, was an excellent
hare hunter, and so was ‘Ranter,’ both large hounds. ‘Witchcraft’ was
a rare bitch to catch a hare, and ‘Witchery,’ her sister, a good line
hunter. We had a very good invitation meet or two, notably with Gilbey
at Marlow, and, I believe, with Howard-Vyse at Stoke. I remember running
hard one day in 1908 from Remenham to the London Road beyond Colnbrook,
where we lost our hare.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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