THE Badsworth, the southernmost Yorkshire Hunt, extends from Pontefract to the Derbyshire borders, and consists chiefly of plough and pasture, with a certain amount of woodland, mostly fenced with quick, but with walls and timber on the western side. This is probably the oldest established Hunt in Yorkshire, taking its name from Badsworth Hall, about five miles south of Pontefract, the seat of Mr. Thomas Bright, who inherited the Badsworth estates from his grandfather in 1720, and then founded the Badsworth Hunt. The doings of Mr. Bright have been immortalised in one of those old hunting ballads, "An account of an excellent fox chase performed by Mr. Bright's hounds," dated 1730, which follows the usual pattern of such effusions, bringing in the names of all the field, each of whom seems to have cheered his own particular hound, which suggests that the pack was trencher-fed.

In 1735, Mr. Bright handed over the country to a Mr. Spencer, who hunted the country for a considerable time, ending his Mastership with a flourish; for on his last day he found a fox at Haw Park, and killed him at Bolsterton on the Derbyshire border. He then sold his hounds to Lord Darlington.

For the next few season there appear to have been several private packs. in the Badsworth country. Sir Roland Winn and his son had hounds at Nostell, while not far away Mr. Godfrey Wentworth had a pack at Woolley Hall. At the other end of the country Mr. William Wrightson seems to have taken a hand. He eventually joined forces with Mr. Wentworth, and eventually took over entire management of the pack. Between 1769 and 1783 Lord Darlington appears to have visited the Badsworth country with his Raby hounds. Another name to be mentioned is that of Sir Edward Smith. After Sir Edward came Sir Thomas Pilkington, while Sir Rowland Winn again appears to have hunted round Nostell, near Wakefield.

About this time, too, the 3rd Lord Darlington, afterwards the 1st Duke of Cleveland, who owned the Bilham estate among his other properties, began to bring his hounds to the Badsworth country for the Spring and Autumn hunting, and established the Badsworth Hunt Club at Ferrybridge.

In 1809, Sir William Gerard, temporarily forsook his stag-hounds, a family pack for many generations, and hunted the Badsworth country till 1814, when he returned to Lancashire.

The next three Masterships, though of short duration, are interesting. First came the great John Chaworth Musters, who had temporarily given up his South Notts. country to George Osbaldeston. Following him came that great Yorkshire sportsman, Sir Bellingham Graham, who brought his own hounds and did things in style. He stayed at Ferrybridge, and built new kennels at Ackworth, moving from the old site at Audlin.

Sir Bellingham's successor was in direct contrast, being the young and impecunious Tom Hodgson. Sir Bellingham had only left twelve couple of hounds and three horses at the kennels, and Hodgson had to build up a new pack. But when it came to hunting hounds he proved himself a "natural," showing wonderful sport, and afterwards made history in the Holderness country. His whipper-in, Will Danby, was almost as famous as his master.

His successor, the Hon. Edward Petre (1821-26) was right at the other end of the scale. Well known on the Turf-he won the Leger four times-he had money to burn, and burnt it like a sportsman.

In 1826, Lord Hawke began his forty season Mastership. Things jogged along very peacefully, without any notable happenings, Lord Hawke was no great hound man, nor yet of the stuff of which great Masters are made. Nimrod, in his Hunting Tours, is rather scathing in his account of a visit to the Badsworth - chiefly due to the fact that, owing to a ball the previous night, neither the Master nor any of the field turned up till an hour after the advertised time. Moreover, Lord Hawke, when he did arrive, was none too gracious to the great Nimrod, the latter having a good opinion of himself.

Nevertheless, Lord Hawke had some good huntsmen during his time. Richards was succeeded by Will Foster, from Lord Fitzhardinge, and then came Will Butler, from Lord Ducie's. Will was no respecter of persons. Lord Hawke always carried a horn, which he blew incessantly. Unable to stand this for long, Will finally exploded with "Dam that horn, m'lord, I'll tell you when to blow it!" At the end of his tenth season, Butler was given a grand complimentary dinner at Doncaster. In 1848 he went as huntsman to Mr. Henley Greaves of the Cottesmore, to whom Lord Hawke sold ten couple of hounds, reducing his hunting days to two days a week. Lord Hawke died in 1869, as the result of a hunting accident, and then came Mr. J. Hope Barton. Hound breeding, possibly for the first time, was now taken really seriously, and much was done to improve the pack, drafts coming from Milton and the South Notts. Unfortunately the Master died in his seventh season, bursting a blood vessel when blowing his horn.

Fortunately his successor, Mr. C. B. E. Wright, was another great hound man-one of the most noted of his day. During his sixteen seasons he put the Badsworth hounds right on the map, the blood being much sought after by other kennels. He hunted hounds himself, mounting himself and his Hunt staff on the best of horses.

In 1892, Mr. Wright took over the management of the Milton kennel for Mr. George Fitzwilliam, Colonel W. J. F. Ramsden then taking over for three seasons. There followed a notable seven seasons Mastership by Mr. John Fullerton who did some useful hound breeding, and hunted hounds himself, with Dick Counsell, from Lord Fitzwilliam's, as whipper-in. In 1902. Mr. Fullerton retired, going later to the York and Ainsty. Mr. Charles Brook, son of the Master of the Dumfriesshire then had three seasons in office, before going to the Holderness.

In 1905, Mr. John Hope Barton, son of the former Master, took over. Young and keen, he offered to buy the hounds from the Committee. This not being agreed to he retired in 1908. Mr. James Montague, a large landowner, and descendant of Osbaldeston, then had two seasons as Master.

In 1910, Major Gordon Foster, who later made such a name for himself in the Sinnington country, took over, with Dick Woodward, from the Meynell as his huntsman, and Tom Agutter (later of Milton) as 1st whipper-in. On a guaranteed £1,700 Major Foster undertook to hunt three days a week, but, with two packs, generally managed four. Attempts were then made by Sir Thomas Pilkington to raise extra subscription for a regular four-day-a-week basis, but the War intervened, the Master going on active service with the Lincolnshire Yeomanry. For the first two War seasons his aunt, Mrs. Morgan, kept the Hunt going, and then became Hunt Secretary for the Committee.

The inter-War period was a very successful one in the Badsworth country. Major C. G. Lyon and his brother were in joint command till 1922, followed by Major Lionel Holliday, from the Derwent. Major Holliday, who hunted hounds himself, was joined in 1927 by Mr. Ralph Warde-Aldam. In 1931, Major Holliday went to the Grove, and later to the York and Ainsty, where he remains.

The following season Major Brian Tinker, who had been hunting the Rockwood Harriers, took over the Badsworth with his sister, hunting hounds himself for two seasons, after which he carried the horn for the Committee. Two seasons later held went to the Grove. He was followed in the Badsworth country by Captain George Barker, son of Colonel F. G. Barker of the Garth. He hunted hounds himself for three very successful seasons, hounds going out three days a week. In 1936, Lord Allendale came in as joint Master and took over the western side of the country previously loaned to Miss Lillo Lumb of the Rockwood, who had been hunting it with her private pack. Every effort was now being made to make the Badsworth a five-day-a-week pack, for which there was ample country. Captain Barker resigned from the joint Mastership in 1937, but continued to hunt hounds for Lord Allendale, the latter now having Mr. Eric Towler as Joint Master.

The Hunt owes a great debt to Lord Allendale for all he did during the War that followed. A reduced pack was kennelled at Bretton Park, and every effort was made to keep the country open, hounds going out as often as possible. Mr. Harry Lyon, as Hunt Secretary, also did his utmost to keep the Hunt alive.

The revival of the Badsworth after the War was due to that feeling of mutual co-operation to which we have referred in our preface, and in which the Badsworth farmers played their part. The late Colonel C. H.S. ("Mouse") Townsend happened to be stationed in the district-joined Mr. Donald Bullock, in the Mastership, and hunted hounds; but after a short spell went to Lord Bathurst's, Mr. Bullock then being joined by Mr. David Brown. Major Brian Tinker came back as amateur huntsman and also acted as Secretary with Miss Susan Armstrong Jones.

Hounds, which were kennelled temporarily at Rossington were now moved to the newly completed kennels at Womersley. Miss Armstrong Jones came in as joint Master for one season.

Mr. David Brown continued as sole Master from 1947 to 1949. In 1947, Captain Cohn McAndrew came as Amateur huntsman, and showed good sport for a couple of seasons, before going as Joint Master with Lord Barnard to the Zetland. Mr. W. Cressy was then amateur huntsman till 1949.

In 1949, the joint Mastership was taken by Mr. John King and Mr. Milton Asquith. J. Hollins was put on as huntsman in 1951, and was succeeded next season by George Knight, who did much to improve sport. In 1954 new kennels, with modern accommodation for hounds, horses, and Hunt Staff, were taken over, the Hunt having purchased Hillthorpe Manor, Thorpe Audlin, which had been part of the estate of Miss G.M. Cooke, a well-known supporter of the Badsworth. Mr. Asquith retired from the joint Mastership at the end of the 1951-2 season, Mr. King then carrying on single handed.

In 1956 Mr. King put on Jack Stevens as huntsman. Stevens came from the South Berks., and had previously been with the Duke of Buccleuch's as whipper-in to Tom Smith.

In 1958, the Mastership was taken over by Mrs. Lorna King and Mr. John MacLean. Stevens continued as huntsman, and had G. Jones as whipper-in. At the beginning of the 1959 season, Mr. John Haigh, a former acting Master and huntsman of the Rockwood Harriers, took over the Mastership, hunting hounds himself, with Bert Taylor as 1st whipper-in and kennel huntsman. In 1960, Miss Eileen Asquith joined Mr. Haigh in Mastership. This continued until 1962 when Mr. Haigh retired and Lt. Col. C .G. M. Gordon joined Miss Asquith as Joint Master and Bert Taylor was put on as huntsman.

Thanks largely to the efforts of Mr. King, a really good, workmanlike pack has been built up in the Hillthorpe kennels, the old Badsworth lines fostered.

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