Hertfordshire Countryside: Hunting (Hertfordshire Genealogy)

The History of Hunting in Hertfordshire

by Major Douglas Neale

A series of articles published in the Hertfordshire Countryside

The Puckeridge Hunt: 1725-1946 (by M F)		Summer 1946
*Early Hunting in Hertfordshire*		Autumn 1946
*The Hertfordshire Hunt*		Winter 1946
*The Old Berkeley Hunt*		Spring 1947
*The Eastern Counties Otter Hunt*		Summer 1947
*Aldenham Harriers*		Autumn 1947
*The South Hertfordshire Beagles*		Spring 1948

*The Enfield Chase Foxhounds*		Summer 1948
*The Old Berkeley Beagles*		Autumn 1948
*The Berkhamsted Buckhounds*		Winter 1948
Enfield Chase Staghounds		Spring 1949
The Jelly Dogs of Widford and West Lodge		Summer 1949
Beagles of Bushey Heath and Berkhamsted		Autumn 1949
The Rothschild Hounds		Winter 1949
Hertfordshire Sporting Personalities		Spring 1950
Otter Hunting in Hertfordshire		Summer 1950
Draghunting in Hertfordshire		Autumn 1950
Some Sporting Characters of the 1930s		Spring 1951

November Meet at Kings Walden

The above represent a vary important series of articles covering the history of hunting with hounds in Hertfordshire, which includes many names of the masters of the hounds, huntsmen, the location of kennels, etc.

The issues for this period also include a regular column, by "Drifter", which gives details of the activities of that active hunts. For instance in Spring 1947 it reports on the Puckeridge Foxhounds, Hertfordshire Foxhounds, Old Berkley (East) Foxhounds, Enfield Chase Foxhounds, Aldenham Harriers, South Herts Beagles, Old Berkley Beagles and East Counties Otterhounds.

The articles also stimulated many contributions to the Readers Forum - one of which records a pack of hounds in 1688, containing significant additional information.

From Reginald L. Hine, F .S.A., Willian Bury, Letchworth [Spring 1947]

Major Neale, in his admirable account of "The Hertfordshire Hunt" [Winter 1946] writes of the Puckeridge and Hertfordshire countries being at one time hunted by one pack, dating from 1725. I have often felt that it should be possible to discover notes of packs in private hands before that date; and a solicitor in Jersey has just told me of finding in his office the will of Francis Breton of Clothall, dated May 17, 1688, under which a "oneeyed black stone horse called Slovin" was bequeathed to the testator's brother-inlaw, his "black coach gelding to Captain Gilby," and to his groom John Burras "my sorrel stone horse called Robin, a black gelding called Tinker, and all my hounds."

I leave it to your readers to go on hunting, and with luck they may run still earlier references to earth.

Page created December 2007