Vale of White Horse Hunt

where the meeting that led to establishment of the V.W.H. took place in 1832. In 1830, the 7th Earl of Kintore retired as master of the Old Berkshire hunt and was succeeded by Henry Reynolds-Moreton, later Earl of Dulcie. Moreton took up residence in a house called 'The Elms', on the Lechlade Road, near Faringdon, and was succeeded by Robert Gifford, 2nd Baron Gifford. ==1842 dispute with the Old Berks==

, where Henry Bathurst, 4th Earl Bathurst, provided the V.W.H. kennels in 1833. Lord Gifford immediately faced a challenge from Thomas Thornhill Morland, master of the Old Berkshire, over the 'temporary division' agreed to with Moreton in 1832. During 1845, mediation efforts were made by 'several persons', including 'old Mr. Goodlake' who had assisted in a similar dispute, in the same country, in 1800. On 15 September 1845, a meeting was arranged at Swindon with William Barrington, 6th Viscount Barrington, and Mr. Martin-Atkins representing the Old Berkshire, and Sir Michael Hicks Beach for the V.W.H., Lord Bathurst, who was to have been a V.W.H. representative, being unable to attend. The agreement, which was generally accepted by all parties (two V.W.H members signed a petition of protest), was: 1st: That the Rivers Thames and Cole should form the boundary; all the country to the southward of the former and to the eastward of the latter to be hunted by the Old Berkshire, and on the opposite sides of the said rivers by the V.W.H.2nd.: That the earths at Sevenhampton, Crouch, Stanton, Buscot, Coleshill and the Beckett coverts should be stopped and put to both packs. ==Mid-19th century==

In 1845, when Lord Gifford decided to step down, there was 'no gentleman coming forward willing to embark solely in the responsibilities' of master, so a committee was formed. and, in this manner of operation, the V.W.H continued for the next five seasons. In his later life, Villebois became master of the West Norfolk. had a smaller pack than Villebois, consisting of forty couples of hounds, but he was popular with farmers who subscribed £200 in the year before his retirement. who died while hunting with the V.W.H. in 1878, from Vanity Fair in 1871 In 1871, the master was Sir William Throckmorton, who was mentioned in a verse, composed by Mr. P. Kington Oliphant, celebrating the 'Great Wood Run' of the nearby Duke of Beaufort's Hunt, which took place that year. On 5 December 1878, novelist and poet George Whyte-Melville had a 'fatal accident' while hunting with the V.W.H. near Braydon Pond. One of Whyte-Melville's poems, "The Lord Of The Valley", is about hunting in V.W.H country: Now here's to the Baron, and all his supporters, The thrusters, the skirters, the whole of the tale; And here's to the fairest of all hunting quarters, The widest of pastures, three cheers for the Vale; For the fair lady rider, the rogue who beside her Finds breath in a gallop his suit to advance, The hounds for our pleasure, that time us the measure. The Lord of the Valley that leads us the dance! ==Division of the V.W.H==

, who moved the motion against Hoare, from Vanity Fair in 1887 In 1879, Charles Hoare was an appointed master. His original agreement with the V.W.H was to hunt three days a week but with the use of the Cirencester woods and land surrounding Swindon, by 1882, that had been extended to five. The relationship was made public, in March 1885, when Hoare defied a court order requiring he have no contact with Sumner, who had been made a ward of the court. Soon after, Allen Bathurst, 6th Earl Bathurst wrote to Hoare to inform him that, as he had now publicly admitted 'certain facts' which he had previously assured Lord Bathurst were false, it 'would be impossible' for Lord Bathurst to continue to allow Hoare to use his kennels at Cirencester. At a meeting in April, 1885, of 'subscribers, members and owners of coverts' in V.W.H. country, at the King's Head hotel, Cirencester, Lord Bathurst elaborated, explaining that he had ignored 'unpleasant rumours' about Hoare until October, 1883, when Beatrice Holme Sumner's father had made a personal complaint to him. Following this, Lord Bathurst 'and other gentlemen felt compelled to decline Mr. Hoare's future acquaintance', however, a 'numerously signed memorial', in Mr. Hoare's favour, was presented to the V.W.H. committee by local farmers, and a decision was made to allow Hoare to continue for another season. Hoare believed he held enough numbers and decided to split the hunt, taking his supporters with him to kennels at Cricklade, Wiltshire. V.W.H (Cirencester) , where three meetings leading to the division took place in 1885–6 As the V.W.H. (Cricklade) retained Hoare's hounds, the V.W.H. (Cirencester), or V.W.H. (Lord Bathurst), as it was also known, relied on Lord Bathurst who 'gradually brought the pack to a high state of excellence' by 'sparing no pains' and 'bringing in the best blood available from Belvoir, Brocklesby, and other kennels'. Lord Bathurst, who became master of the Cirencester in 1886, continued in that role until 1892, when he was succeeded by his son, Seymour Bathurst, 7th Earl Bathurst, who held the role for 51 seasons. Thomas Butt Miller, of Brentry, Westbury-on-Trym, had hunted with the Berkeley and Beaufort, and had succeeded Mr. Arkwright at Oakley, when Mr Hoare retired and 'generously promised to lend his hounds, kennels and stables to his successor'. Miller bought Hoare's hounds in 1892 and held the mastership for the next twenty seasons. On 11 February 1892, the day's hunt was suspended after the accidental death of Mr. T. C. M. Freake, the son and heir of Sir Thomas Freake, of Eastcourt House, Malmesbury. Freake 'found his course impeded by a locked and bared gate. He put his horse at the obstacle, but the animal failed to clear, and throwing its rider into the hard road beyond, fell with its whole weight on him.' Following Miller's retirement in 1910, he was succeeded as master by Lieut. Colonel W. F. Fuller, who was supported by a deputy when he had to leave his post during service in World War I. The next master, in 1931, was Captain M. Kingscote, followed by David Price, in 1938. In 1940, a committee was formed to maintain the Cricklade during World War II, and a series of masterships followed the war, as the hunt struggled to remain viable before the re-amalgamation. == Re-amalgamation ==

show, in Wiltshire, in 2010. Following economies made during World War II, and a decrease in available hunting land in the years following the war, discussions eventually began on re-amalgamation. In 1993, then master, Lord Mancroft, when asked about the dangers of fox hunting, suggested 'the perfect death is in the saddle': Sometimes it seems like an accident, but it can be a heart attack. It happened like that to the old master of the hunt. Fell off his horse and was dead long before he hit the ground. It's the most wonderful way to go. == Other notable members ==

• On 15 December 1915, while the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, 'enjoyed a good day's hunting' with the V.W.H. before changing clothes in his car en route to an engagement in London. • Geoffrey Lawrence, 1st Baron Oaksey, the main British judge during the Nuremberg trials after World War II, rode 'regularly' with the V.W.H. after moving to Wiltshire in the 1930s. == References ==