The hunting field

NEWS REPORTS CULLED FROM THE ARCHIVES OF
OUR LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AND ELSEWHERE

¬ On Friday last, while the Cottesmore hounds were in Gunbury Wood [near Morton], a severe accident occurred to a lad named Barnes, son of a labourer at Elsthorpe. The boy was taking care of a horse and cart of his master's, when at the sound of a horn the horse took fright and knocked him down, and the wheel of the cart passing over his face, shattered it exceedingly, breaking the jaw, the nose, several teeth, and severely injuring the cheek and eyes. We are, however, happy to state that through the skill and attention of Mr George Nicholls, surgeon, of Bourne, hopes are now entertained of the boy's recovery.  Friday 9th September 1825.

¬ THE CHASE - THE DUCKING: Several of the sons of Nimrod, amongst whom was the respected Master of the Cottesmore Hounds, in their fervour for the chase found a good ducking on Saturday last, in the river running between Bourne and Edenham. The hounds met at Bytham, and having found a fox in the purlieus of Grimsthorpe, made for Bourne wood, crossing the stream (which was much swollen by the thaw). The sportsmen attempted to follow, and some succeeded, but not until many "didappers" [dabchicks, applied ludicrously to a person] were seen bobbing under the water. Hats were floating down the water by dozens without orders, and many heads were afterwards enveloped in handkerchiefs.  - Friday 1st February 1850.

¬ THE CHASE. - On Saturday last, Sir John Trollope's hounds met at Manthorpe. At a little before one o'clock, reynard made his entrance into Bourn by the south side of the town, passing through Mr Thomas Osborn's yard, through Mr G J Nicholls' paddock, over the river and into the Rev Joseph Dodsworth's bottom garden; thence he crossed the Abbey Lawn and into Mr Dodsworth's top garden, which is surrounded by a wall more than six feet high: here the poor fox had, as it were, jumped into a large cage from which there seemed no escape, and he quickly concealed himself behind some flower pots in a little outhouse communicating with the garden: this however, brought him only a short respite, as the hounds and huntsmen were soon up with him and he was speedily doomed to death. He was then brought on to the lawn and after the brush and head had been cut off, the master of the hounds stepped forward and threw the body of the fox into the air to fall amongst the dogs, which in a very few moments, tore it to pieces and consumed it. Besides the huntsmen, there were present on the lawn a large concourse of persons who appeared highly excited by the sport. - Friday 28th January 1859.

¬ ON FRIDAY LAST, Mr Henry Bromley, surgeon, of Rippingale, near Bourne, who was also surgeon to the Bourne Rifle Corps, met with a frightful accident which we regret to say has terminated fatally. The Duke of Rutland's hounds met at Lenton village and Mr Bromley joined in the hunt. Somewhere near Kirkby Underwood, his horse slipped at an ugly fence over which the rider was pitched and the horse following trampled upon Mr Bromley and inflicted fearful injuries internally and externally. He was conveyed home and medical aid was procured from Bourne and Stamford but after enduring great agony, he died on Monday last. - Friday 27th December 1861.

¬ ON SATURDAY LAST, Sir John Trollope's hounds met at Manthorpe, near Bourne. After running a vixen to ground at Dole Wood, they proceeded to Thurlby Wood where they started another fox. After about three hours' chase to and from Thurlby and Northorpe, and again into the wood, reynard, shortly before 4 o'clock, approached Bourne town by the west side of the railway station into the Spring Field, thence across the river forming the back way of Mr Munton's mill [Baldock's Mill], over the trenches, along the paddocks belonging to Mr J Gibson and Mr T Presgrave; and after making an unsuccessful effort to mount the wall into the back premises of Messrs Mills and Co's soda water manufactory [in West Street], he finally took refuge in Mr Thomas Heaton's hen roost, the occupants of which made a precipitate retreat but in doing so, protested loudly against reynard's unceremonious visit; and doubtless he must have felt ill at ease at their noisy cackling when "he meant no harm" for it at once discovered his hiding place. A couple of dogs were put in to keep him company and the result of their short acquaintance we need not relate. He was then taken into the Market-place and his brush, head and feet cut off and his carcass thrown into the air to fall amongst the dogs which in a few moments tore it to pieces and devoured it. Besides the huntsmen, there were present a large number of persons who appeared highly to relish the sport. One gentleman, in his anxiety to be up at the death, was proceeding along the outside of some low buildings in Mr Heaton's yard when a portion of the pigsty roof gave way and the "gent was let in, up to his chin", which sustained considerable damage by coming into contact with the tiles that "kept their places".  - Friday 18th March 1868.

¬ THE APPEARANCE of the Cottesmore Hounds in full cry on the outskirts of Bourne on January 26th caused a good deal of agitation. The meet was at Uffington House and the "find" in a wood north of Uffington parish. The run was a "clipper" and the incidents more than usually exciting, all the lowlands being flooded, and one gentleman having found himself up to the neck in a dyke with a struggling horse which was rescued with difficulty. The fox made its way across cottagers' gardens and the inmates of the tenements, who had rushed out to ascertain the cause of the hubbub, speedily retreated to their upper windows when they found their little plots invaded by swift running hounds and eager huntsmen. The "varmint", which had given the field a gallop of an hour and a half, escaped pursuit, a fresh fox having attracted the pack. - Friday 2nd February 1872.

¬ NARROW ESCAPE OF THE COTTESMORE HOUNDS: The Cottesmore Hounds met at Manthorpe, near Bourne, yesterday. There was a good attendance of gentry from all parts of the district. The weather was bitterly cold, a strong north-easterly wind prevailing. The pack made for Thurlby Wood and were crossing the Essendine line of the Great Northern Railway, which runs through the wood, when the Bourne to Essendine 12.55 pm passenger train was approaching. The driver, seeing the imminent danger of the hounds, at once applied the brakes and succeeded in bringing the train to a standstill within a few yards of the dogs. Elsea Wood, Bourne, was next drawn but there was no sport. The pack thence made its way to Dikey Wood but with a similar result. - Friday 22nd March 1889.

¬ THE COTTESMORE HOUNDS met at Bourne station on Friday at 11.30 am. Mr Baird's pack had been conveyed from Oakham by special train. The weather was very unfavourable but a large number of gentry of the town and neighbourhood assembled, as well as good number of pedestrians. The pack was thrown in about a mile from the station at Bourne Wood. The hounds were soon on reynard's track but owing to cross scent were much impeded in the run. After two or three hours' work with no result, the hounds were drawn off for the day. - Friday 19th April 1889.

¬ HUNT BALL AT BOURNE: Cottesmore Hunt Ball, held at Bourne Corn Exchange on Friday, attracted 170 dancers and music was provided by Bill Saville and his orchestra. Among the guests were Sir Henry and Lady Tate, Mr and Mrs McAlpine and Mr Marcus Kimball, the three joint masters and their ladies. Monday's meet was from the Manor House, Austerby, home of Mr and Mrs E D Cooke, and owing to the wet state of the ground the hunt kept away from the open country, concentrating on the Bourne Wood area. - news report from the Grantham Journal, Friday 19th November 1954.

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