Hunting several days each
week across North Yorkshire the pack dates back to
1764. A description and history,
written in the 1960s is reproduced below, Joint Masters: Hon.
Secretaries: Huntsmen: Whippers-in: Hunting Days: THE history of foxhunting
in the East Riding probably contains more famous names
than are found in any other part of Yorkshire. And as
regards hounds, the influence of the Middleton kennel on
the Foxhound Kennel Stud Book has been commensurate with
that of Brocklesby, Belvoir, or Bad-minton, ranking with
them as the source of the best hunting blood. The early history of
foxhunting in the Middleton country is closely bound up
with that of the adjoining Holderness, and in fact the
two were hardly separate countries. As far back as 1726,
Squire Draper of Beswick formed a pack with the help of
Sir Mark Constable. Having but £600 a year, and
eleven sons and three daughters, he was necessarily
frugal in his habits. Never-theless, his hounds had a
great reputation for the sport they showed over the wild,
uncultivated wolds, which were 'worth 2s. 6d. an acre and
hard work to pay at that." Another name that crops
up about this time is that of Sir Thomas Gascoigne, who
is also mentioned in connection with the Bramham Moor.
During the 1780's Lord Mexborough, Mr. Bumper Saville and
Sir Walter Vavasour all hunted the wolds, and the Duke of
Devonshire kept a pack at Londesborough. At this time
the East Yorkshire Hunt Club was formed at Driffield. Jn
1788 a triumvirate consisting of Lord Carlisle, Mr.
Compton, and Mr. Willoughby (afterwards Lord Middleton)
were hunting the Middleton country, the hounds being
kennelled at Castle Howard. Mr. Darley, of Darley
Arabian fame, had previously kept hounds at Aldby Park,
and these he sold to Earl Spencer. In 1799 the whole of
the East Riding was hunted by Mr. Duncombe (later Lord
Feversham) from Fangfoss. From this somewhat
tangled skein we emerge in 1804, for in that year the
Sykes of Sledmere make their appearance on the scene. In
that year Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, and his brother Mr.
Tatton Sykes, bought Lord Feversham's hounds and
established kennels at Eddlethorpe. Two years later there
was a Committee consisting of Sir Mark Sykes, Mr. Watt,
and Mr. Digby Legard, the pack being known as the
Confederate Hounds. They hunted an enormous territory
from Coxwold to Spurn Point, including a lot of York and
Ainsty country, who acceded to the western side when that
Hunt was formed in 1815. Mr. Legard then took over the
Holderness side, and Sir Mark continued to hunt the
Middleton country till his death in 1823. Sir Tatton Sykes then
took over, and hunted the country for the next fifty
years. No greater Yorkshire sportsman ever lived.
Foxhunting, agriculture, bloodstock breeding, and racing
formed his whole life. The two Carters, father and son,
were bis huntsmen. The foundation of his kennel was the
Warwick-shire Trojan blood, and when Lord Middleton gave
up the Warwickshire in 1822 be made a further present of
ten couple. Lord Middleton purchased the Sykes hounds in
1822 and hunted the country from Birdsall for two
seasons, after which Sir Tatton repurchased the pack. At
the age of 78 Sir Tatton never missed a day, hacking on
to covert, and holding his place with men half his age
when hounds were running hard over the wolds. He gave up
his hounds in 1853, and died ten years later, at the age
of 91. On Sir Tatton's
resignation the Hon. H. Willoughby bought the hounds and
built the Birdsall kennels, and for the next seventy
years the hounds were known as Lord Middleton's, under
the eighth and ninth Barons. It was the eighth Baron who
laid the foundations of a pack that were to become famous
under his successor, breeding consistently to Milton and
Bentinck. He himself was a fine amateur huntsman, quiet
in his handling of hounds, quick in his decisions, with a
beautiful voice and note on the horn. The Birdsall
kennels were a model in their lay-out, and were the
prototype for many other estab-lishments. Lord Middleton died in
1877, and was succeeded by his son, the ninth Baron,
whose Mastership lasted forty-three seasons. It was the
latter's genius as a hound breeder that put the Bird-sall
kennel right in the front rank. Owing to an old injury,
Lord Middleton was never able to hunt hounds himself, and
could in fact do little more than ride out on his cob to
see them draw. His two brothers acted as Field Masters,
but it was Lord Middleton himself who attended to every
detail of the Hunt, and who did the hound breeding. The
Hunt staff were always beautifully mounted on horses of
his lordship's own breeding. His huntsmen were, in
succession, Will Burton, Will Grant, and George Leaf,
from the Pytchley. In 1907, Leaf went to the Quorn in
place of Tom Bishop, who came to Birdsall. Lord Middleton died in
1921, and the Hunt thenceforward has been known as the
Middleton. Lord Grimthorpe and Lieut.-Colonel Malcolm
Borwick now took the joint Master-ship, the latter
hunting the East side with a separate pack. From 1923 to
1925, Lord Grimthorpe hunted the East side with amateur
assistance, after which Captain T. L. Wickham-Boynton
hunted this side of the country with 20 couple from the
Birdsall kennel. Mr. R. W. Lund continued as Hunt
Secretary for the whole area, till succeeded by Colonel
A. E. J. Wilson. In 1934 the Middleton East became a
separate Hunt, with Captain Wickham-Boynton as Master,
Mr. Adrian Scrope as Chairman, and Mr. Eric C. Dee as
Secretary. Ken-nels were provided by Sir Richard Sykes at
Sledmere. Mean-while Lord Grimthorpe resigned temporarily
from the joint Mastership, Colonel Borwick continuing to
hunt the Middleton country four days a week, till his
resignation in 1931. There were few men who knew more
about hound breeding, and the results of his work at
Birdsall were - and still are-there for all to see. It
may be said that under his management the hounds attained
their zenith, and on leaving the country for the
Pytchley, he left behind him a beautifully bred pack. All
the old Middleton lines had been resuscitated, while
skilful use was made of such outside sires as the
Cleveland Ranger and South and West Wilts
Godfrey. In 1932 there began the
popular and successful joint Master-ship of Lord Halifax
and Lord Grimthorpe. The latter hunted the dog-hounds two
days a week, while the professional hunted the bitch pack
on the other two. Lord Halifax, though much involved with
his public duties, did great work in the southern end of
the courltry, looking after the farmers and getting down
the wire, while Lord Grimthorpe worked up the Friday and
Monday country, having much assistance from Colonel
Deakin and others. Meanwhile, in the East
country Captain Wickham-Boynton was joined in the
Mastership by Sir Richard Sykes who, how-ever, went on
active service on the outbreak of war. Captain
Wickham-Boynton died in November 1942, at the age of 7 l;
thus passed a great sportsman, active to the last in the
cause of fox-hunting, and one of the great bloodstock
breeders of his time, at his Buruton Agnes Stud. Mrs.
Wickham-Boynton then carried on as Master till her death
in 1947. In 1943 the Sledmere
kennels were required for agricultural purposes, and
Langtofi Mill was purchased with money sub-scribed by
farmers. It had been arranged that Major T. H. J. Gillam
should undertake the Mastership following the death of
Mrs. Wickham-Boynton, but he was killed in an accident
before the season started. His place was taken by Miss
Cynthia Gillam (Mrs. Murray Wells), with Fred I'avitt as
huntsman. In 1949, Mr. E. W. Wrigley succeeded Miss
Gillam, and continued as Master till the country was
reunited in 1953, under its present title of the
Middleton and Middleton Fast. Meanwhile, to return to
the Middleton country, Lord Halifax, on becoming Foreign
Secretary in 1938, retired from the joint Mastership, his
place being taken by his son, the Hon. Charles Wood,
afterwards Lord Irwin. On the outbreak of war, both
joint Masters rejoined their regiments, and a Com-mittee,
under Colonel A. J. Wilson, took charge. Joe Wright
hunting hounds, and the pack being reduced to about 25
couple. At the conclusion of
hostilities Lord Halifax and Lord Irwin resumed their
joint Mastership. When the two sides of the country were
reunited in 1953, Mr. Wrigley came in as third Master of
the Middleton and Middleton East. Lord Irwin made a
tremendous success of hunting hounds in the Wednes-day
and Saturday country, and D. Sturgeon hunted hounds on
Mondays and Fridays. Mr. W. D. Pinkney came in as fourth
joint Master in 1958, but at the end of the 1959-60
season Mr. Wrigley retired from the Mastership and Miss
Anne Brotherton joined Lord Halifax, formerly Lord Irwin,
and Mr. Pinkney. Lord Halifax and Dennis Sturgeon hunt
the hounds. Mr. Eric Dee continues as Hunt Secretary on
the Wold side, while Brigadier I. Watson acts in a
similar capacity on the Malton side. All hounds are once
more kennelled at Birdsall.
Middleton and Middleton
East in the early 1960s
The Earl of
Halifax,.
Miss Anne BrothertonMr. E. C.
Dee,
Brigadier I. Watson,Lord Halifax and
Dennis Sturgeon.
Dennis Sturgeon
and C. Howells.
Monday,
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Click to see a larger image