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The Hawk an Acquisition to Sportsmen—Hawk aeries—Hawks 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.

Morfe Forest one of the Five Royal Forests of 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.

Royal Chase of Shirlot—Extent—Places 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.

The Wrekin Forest and the Foresters—Hermit of Mount St. 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

Willey, Close Neighbour to the Royal Chase of 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

The Willey Squire—Instincts and Tendencies—Atmosphere of the times favourable for their development—Thackeray’s Opinion—Style of Hunting—Dawn of the Golden Age of the Sport, &c.

The Willey Kennels—Colonel Apperley on Hunting a hundred years ago—Character of the Hounds—Portraits of Favourites—Original Letters

The Willey Long Runs—Dibdin’s fifty miles no figure of speech—From the Wrekin to the Clee—The Squire’s Breakfast—Phoebe Higgs—Doggrel Ditties—Old Tinker—Moody’s Horse falls dead—Run by Moonlight

Its Quaint Interior—An Old Friend’s Memory—Crabbe’s Peter at Ilford Hall—Singular Time-pieces—A Meet at Hangster’s Gate—Jolly Doings—Dibdin at Dinner—Broseley Pipes—Parson Stephens in his Shirt—The Parson’s Song

The Squire’s Friends and the Rector more fully drawn—Turner—Wilkinson—Harris—The Rev. Michael Pye Stephens—His Relationship to the Squire—In the Commission of the Peace—The Parson and the Poacher—A Fox-hunting Christening

The Willey Whipper-in—Tom’s Start in Life—His Pluck and Perseverance—Up hill and down dale—Adventures with the Buff-coloured Chaise—His own Wild Favourite—His Drinking Horn—Who-who-hoop—Good Temper—Never Married—Hangster’s Gate—Old Coaches—Tom gone to Earth—Three View Halloos at the Grave—Old Boots

Dibdin’s Song—Dibdin and the Squire good fellows well met—Moody a character after Dibdin’s own heart—The Squire’s Gift—Incledon—The Shropshire Fox-hunters on the Stage at Drury Lane

The Willey Squire recognises the duty of his position, and becomes Member for Wenlock—Addison’s View of Whig Jockeys and Tory Fox-hunters—State of Parties—Pitt in Power—“Fiddle-Faddle”—Local Improvements—The Squire Mayor of Wenlock—The Mace now carried before the Chief Magistrate

The Squire and his Volunteers—Community of Feeling—Threats of Invasion—“We’ll follow the Squire to Hell, if necessary”—The Squire’s Speech—His Birthday—His Letter to the Shrewsbury Chronicle—Second Corps—Boney and Beacons—The Squire in a Rage—The Duke of York and Prince of Orange come down

The Squire among his Neighbours—Sir Roger de Coverley—Anecdotes—Gentlemen nearest the fire in the Lower Regions—Food Riots—The Squire quells the Mob—His Virtues and his Failings—Influences of the Times—His career draws to a close—His wish for Old Friends and Servants to follow him to the Grave—To be buried in the dusk of the evening—His Favourite Horse to be shot—His estates left to his cousin, Cecil Weld, the First Lord Forester—New Hunting Song

Appendix

189

Index

201