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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — the Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and contain great stories from her home village of FINDON, West Sussex, U.K. Everyday tales about real people...... in fact, a potted history of the village. The topics today, are history tomorrow.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL GEORGE WYNDHAM AND FINDON FOX-HUNTING
Copyright Valerie Martin 2008
It has been with some difficulty that I have pieced together the Findon hunting scene but it seems that by 1803 a Mr. Newnham of Newtimber in Sussex began hunting our Findon downland area.
He was then succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel George Wyndham, afterwards first Lord Leconfield of Drove House in Singleton. He had kennels at Duncton Hill as well as at Findon and his hounds hunted an immense e area of countryside south of Petworth down to the sea. He was the eldest natural son of the 3rd Earl of Egremont and was created Baron Leconfield in 1859. In Nimrod's Hunting Tours it can be read that the author wrote approvingly of his pack....
| They seemed formed for speed, not deficient in power, and abounding in good form and symetry, though not exceeding (generally) twenty-two inches in height: they are very handy in coming to horn or hallo. |
But..... and there is always a "but".... our countryside was written about thus....
| There is a country in Boeotia, which they call Hyetus, supposed to be he dirtiest in the world. This I have never seen.... but when I got into the lanes of the Wealds of Sussex and some part of Surrey, I found it was all to come! |
(Boeotia is Central Greece).
The stables at the Gun Inn catered for some four legged aristocratic animals with prospects and sporting careers in the 1830s. Colonel George Wyndham, was one of the gentry who stabled seventeen of his most fine hunters at the yard of the Gun Inn and employed nine men and boys to care for them. (Actually, I am wondering where the innkeeper had room for all of these animals.... perhaps paddocks at the back?) William Westbrooke Richardson the Lord of the Manor of Findon, contented himself with eight hunters at this time.
During Lieutenant Colonel George Wyndham's absence to the Peninsular Campaign, the so-called sport of fox-hunting was continued in Findon by William Westbrooke Richardson of Findon Place. The Squire (with the assistance of Mr. Newnham mentioned earlier) constructed the Kennels at in Findon in 1812.
During Colonel Godman's mastership of the Crawley & Horsham Hunt, the hounds were sent to the Findon Old Kennels to open the Cubbing Season....(which I can only assume is when the young foxes leave the den and at their most vulnerable out in the local countryside on their own). Fortunately, this barbaric practice was not continued after the War.
When Colonel Wynham returned on the Findon scene, the Squire graciously gave back the hunting rights and started a pack of harriers and these he hunted himself with a whipper-in named Jack Paskins — more about him later.
Continue to read about Squire William Westbrooke Richardson and Hunting
THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.
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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial. Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but just sometimes they might be! |
