BAILY'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE

OF

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

MR. W. E. OAKELEY.

ETON and Oxford, good nursing mothers of good fellows yet to be, who that gazes on the playing fields of the one, or joins in the roar of contending eights, and larks over Bullingdon hurdles, in the other, but recognizes the blossoming of many a young tree, destined to bring forth good fruit in the future? Baily's hunting records, the slight notices accompanying the portraits which adorn its pages, have, indeed, an almost damnable iteration' in this respect, for it is quite six to four on the M.F.H. who makes such a pleasant frontispiece having been at both; with just perhaps a year or two in the Blues, or some cavalry regiment, thrown in. And are not

all these excellent schools for the followers of the Noble Science' to graduate in?

The subject of our present sketch, the Master of the Atherstone, -a grandson of Sir Charles Oakeley-has fulfilled two of the requisites that go to make up the education of an M.F.H. Born in 1828, Eton was his first mother,' and to the quads of quiet 'Corpus the young gentleman commoner migrated in 1846, bringing with him a great taste for hunting, to which he had been entered early by his stepfather, Mr. Pole Shawe, who had previously kept the South Staffordshire hounds (the country now hunted by Lord Henry Paget), and had Joe Maiden for his huntsman. At the feet of such Gamaliels, how could the pupil fail to acquire knowledge? and Mr. Oakeley was an apt scholar. There were hunting men and hunting men in those days at Oxford, as we suppose there are now,-that is, if the promising young gentlemen who howl themselves hoarse at Commemoration time can condescend to such pastime,-and Mr. Oakeley showed his form in those young days. We do not think he took much to the drag, nor did Bullingdon see him often; but he went in for regular hunting, and was a constant attendant with Jem Hill and Tom Wingfield, not forgetting Mr. Morrell; and the quiet, sportsmanlike way in which he and his friend, Mr. Fulbert Archer, turned out on their own horses, so different from the showy gets-up of the youth of the period, with his heart more in

Randall's ties and Embling's breeches than in the work before him, is remembered by many of their contemporaries.

Mr. Oakeley has been for some time connected with the Atherstone country, having gone there soon after his friend, Mr. Anstruther Thomson, made it his abiding-place, and he was the very efficient secretary to the hunt in Lord Curzon's time; but it was not until 1870, when Lord Curzon gave it up, that he, in conjunction with Mr. Anstruther Thomson, took the hounds. The latter gentleman became, as is well known, the master in the field, and hunted the hounds, while Mr. Oakeley made himself useful by keeping back, as well as he could, an occasionally impetuous field, and always setting a good example by riding to hounds, and not over them, in a sportsmanlike manner. This season Mr. Thomson has been compelled, on account of the ill-health of his family, to winter at Torquay, and the sole mastership has devolved on Mr. Oakeley. At first he was reluctant to assume the responsibilities of a Master, for fear he should not be able to devote the autumn to his Welsh property at Tan y Bwlch; and on that account he is not able to be in Leicestershire during the early cub-hunting. Always attentive to his hunting, and always riding like a sportsman; very keen, as those who have seen him on his hands and knees, with his head and shoulders up a rabbit-hole, trying to mark a fox to ground, can testify; of most prepossessing manners, with a happy combination of the fortiter and the suaviter in the management of his field, Mr. Oakeley, it may be safely said, is a great favourite with all classes. John, generally called 'Jem,' Baily is his huntsman. He came last from Lord Middleton, but lived many years with Mr. Tailby as his first whip-a good school, in which he learned to love his work, to be a clever and good horseman, and to make his hounds love him. Sixty couple, divided into three packs, hunt five days a week, and, despite very trying weather, have had up to Christmas their full share of sport.

Fond of all out-door amusement, Mr. Oakeley is a good coachman, an enthusiastic fisherman, and, in the words of a great admirer, can do a bit of everything.' He was about the earliest of the Norwegian explorers; and he was the first man who ever fished the Stordall, which has since turned out such an excellent river, and also had the Alten previous to the Duke of Roxburghe renting it. What we may term the peaceful arts, also, have a votary in the Master of the Atherstone, as the oak furniture in the dining-room of Cliff House, carved and turned by the hands of himself and his wife, can testify. Mr. Oakeley married in 1860 the Hon. Mary Russell, the youngest daughter of Baroness De Clifford and Captain John Russell, R.N. (son of Lord William Russell), who formerly kept the Warwickshire hounds, before that county was divided into North and South. Mrs. Oakeley is well known in the county as a most accomplished horsewoman, and one of the ornaments of the Atherstone field,

A CHESHIRE SONG TO AN IRISH TUNE.

DEDICATED TO JAMES HUGH SMITH BARRY, ESQ., BY
R. E. EGERTON-WARBURTON.

O! are they not a canting lot
To whom we now submit?
The gamecock now by law forbid
To battle in the pit;

A stubborn screw! what shall we do
To make the rebel stir,

When there's a straitlac'd law agin
The wearing of the spur?

-I ask'd George Orvis t'other day,
What sport his kennel had?
His hand I took, for I saw his look.
Was sorrowful and sad;
'It's the most distressful country,
Though with foxes it abounds,
They're a fining men and masters there,
For riding up to hounds!'

If black, instead of scarlet,

Be the cloth that we must don,
It shall be the garb of mourning
For a pastime dead and gone!
When, spurs pluck'd off from every heel,

At cover-side we meet,

Then, fast or slow, we all must go

A hunting on our feet!

When laws can check the Autumn leaves

From falling as they die,

When fences in November
Are as blind as in July,

We then will strip our collars off

But till that day be seen,

We Cheshiremen, we'll stick till then

To wearing of the Green.

COUNTRY QUARTERS.

THE HOLDERNESS.

ON resuming the conversation about Yorkshire Country Quarters, our friend observed:

The Holderness is considered the best country in Yorkshire, is ' it not?'

Yes; and deservedly so. It is situated on the promontory of

'the North Sea and the River Humber, as far as the towns of 'Howden and Selby, and it usually carries a good scent, although it is nearly all plough. It is bounded by the North Sea, then goes in a line from Howden to Pocklington on the west, and so to Bridlington on the north. It is about forty-five miles from north to south, and thirty-six from east to west. One half of the country 'is Holderness; the other is the Wolds. It comprises not only the 'tract called Holderness, but the country north, west, and south of Beverley; and it is by no means a bad hunting country.'

Is it not very stiff?'

'Decidedly so, especially in what may be termed Holderness 'proper, which is one of the deepest and wettest countries in England, intersected by wide, deep drains, many of them with rotten 'banks and rotten bottoms, easy to get into, but exceedingly difficult to get out of; and in the neighbourhood of Hedon and Preston they are impracticable. Perhaps the worst part is that commonly 'known as the Carrs, which being of a peaty, treacherous nature, 'the drains are more difficult to negociate than in the sounder portions. This was, I believe, fen land, and reclaimed not very many years ago, hence its soft nature.

'It is useless to go into this side of the country unless you are ' on a good bold water-jumper, while, at the same time, he must be 6 steady enough to creep, as where the drain is defended by a hedge, ' it cannot always be taken at a fly; but, after choosing a weak place, you must get over quietly as you best can.'

Is the whole of this character ?'

No; they hunt a large portion of wold around Market 'Weighton and that side of the country. This is arable, and the 'fields are of immense size, so that, at times, you may see the 'hounds for miles should you not be with them. It is hilly, and 'the fences are quicksets, some of them fully five feet high, but most are much below that. They are trimmed every year, and 'kept wide and thick at the bottoms but narrow at the top-or what · may be termed razor-backed, in contradiction to the hog-backed, ' which are found in many countries-and are very stiff, so that they ' will roll a horse over when blown by the pace hounds race across 'these great fields, should he make a mistake at them. There is a ditch occasionally in the bottoms, but not often; and when there is it takes some powder to get over. I have seen some of the 'highest of these fences round Neswick Hall and the coverts that are tried from that meet. One peculiarity I must tell you at times interferes with scent in Holderness, namely, the wild garlic, which abounds in Dalton Wood, near Beverley, and is scarcely so pleasant an interruption as the "stinking violets.'

What are the principal coverts?'

'They have few woodlands, and of these they rather feel the want in cub-hunting; but they have some capital gorses, though, unfor'tunately, a blight affected many of them a few years ago, and "the "blooming evergreen" almost died away, so that it was some time

'ere it formed good lying again. Castle Hill is a capital covert, and so situated that a fox, after once leaving it, has little or no shelter ' for a considerable distance, so that he must go or die. There was, however, some nasty wire in the neighbourhood, which, it is to be hoped, is ere this done away with.

Benningholme, a celebrated osier-bed, or holt, is nearly stubbed up; but a finer broom covert than Catwick Whin is seldom seen. Waghen or Wawne is a small wood covert, nicely situated, and 'seldom fails to hold a fox.

Carlton Whin, Saltmarsh Whin, and Catfoss are also good.

'At Meux Abbey Mr. Richardson has some good coverts; but his favourite gorse suffered from the blight terribly. It is nothing

' unusual to find in his laurels.

There are also Caterick Whin, Hatfield, Oustwick, and Daisy Hill Whins, Parson's Close, and Six Acres.

'James Wood, Humbleton Whin, and Low and High Linn are also favourite coverts.

'On the Carrs there is a famous stick covert, the property of Lord 'Londesborough, which is almost a certain find, and noted for the runs 'that have taken place from it. It is formed at the bottom of roots ' and trunks of trees sawn off short, and of anything, in fact, that ' will keep it hollow. On the top of this, to a considerable height, are piled up bushes and hedge-trimmings. These comfortable quarters are surrounded with fir plantations, and situated in a wild, thinly-inhabited country, so that it is no wonder they are in favour 'with the foxes. It is drawn with terriers, while the pack wait 'outside the plantation. Dringhoe is another favourite covert on 'the Barmston side of the country.

Then there is Old Dale and Etton Westwood, on the Wold side, and the Bishops Burton Woods.'

'Who was the first master?'

'We know of none earlier than Squire Draper of Beswick, who 'died on the 18th of August, 1776, aged seventy-five, and is buried at ' Market Weighton; nor is it known precisely at what date he com'menced to hunt the Holderness country, but conjecture points to an 6 early period in the eighteenth century. He was succeeded by Mr. Darley of Alby Park," who hunted it for a few years with the country now known as Lord Middleton's, using the kennels at Bes'wick, when the Holderness came in for its turn. After this, Mr. Osbaldeston, the father of the Squire, of Hunmanby, carried it on 'some years with great spirit, his huntsman being Isaac Grangera very celebrated man in his day. His whips were William Marshall and William Carter, father of Tom Carter, Sir Tatton Sykes's • huntsman for so many seasons.

Mr. Osbaldeston gave up about 1795, and the Duke of Devon'shire, who then passed some of his time at Londesborough Hall, ' commenced keeping hounds, and built kennels for them in the park; ' and after him Lord Carlisle hunted it, with Lord Middleton's country, for some seasons. Then Lord Feversham succeeded him,