NOTE
By Author

MASTERS OF THE SOUTHWOLD

It appears that Mr. Charles Pelham, who was the last of the Brocklesby Pelhams, was the first M.F.H. of The Brocklesby, at first as joint and then as sole master, till his death in 1763. Also that Lord Yarborough hunted what is now the Southwold country for a month at a time in spring and autumn, having kennels at Ketsby until 1795, by which time his gorse covers round Brocklesby had grown up and he was able to dispense with the country south of Louth. Then till 1820 a pack of trencher-fed harriers hunted fox and hare indiscriminately. These from 1820 to 1822 were called “The Gillingham” and were hunted by Mr. Brackenbury from Scremby, after which the kennels were transferred to Hundleby and the name changed to “The Southwold.” They now kept to fox entirely, and the Hon. George Pelham, then living at Legbourne, was the first master.

The following is a complete list of the masters of the Southwold up to the present date, 1914:—

Hon. G. Pelham1823-6
Lord Kintore1826
Mr. Joseph Brackenbury1827-9
Sir Richard Sutton, combining it with the Burton1829-30
Captain Freeman, who brought hounds from “The Vine”1830-32
Mr. Parker1832-35
Mr. Heanley, who brought his own hounds1835-41
Mr. Musters, who brought his own hounds1841-43
Mr. Hellier1843-52
Mr. Henley Greaves1852-53
Mr. Cooke1853-57
A Committee, presided over part of the time by Captain Dallas York1857-76
Mr. F. Crowder1876-80
Mr. E. Preston Rawnsley1880

From this it will be seen that until the days of the committee no one hunted the pack for even five years, with the exception of Mr. Heanley and Mr. Hellier, until the present master, Mr. E. P. Rawnsley.

BELCHFORD KENNELS

With the reign of the committee central kennels were established for the hunt at Belchford in 1857. Previously each master fixed his kennels as it suited him, either at Louth, Horncastle, Hundleby or Harrington.

Now, April 1914, Sir William Cooke having given up, Lord Charles Bentinck has succeeded him. He brings his own pack with him, and the country no longer is divided into north and south, but hunted as a whole again.