Introduction

Summary

The documents

Almost all the documents in this volume are deposited in the County Record Office. Only a few of these are the official records of the Oakley Hunt, whose first surviving minute-book, 1877, has on p. 22 an instruction to the Secretary to destroy such papers in his possession as appear to be of no further use. Recently however some correspondence which escaped destruction has come to light and been added to the Hunt’s deposit. Fortunately many letters have survived in private collections, in particular those of Antonie of Colworth, which came into the possession of the late Lord Melchett when he was at Colworth and Master (1935-8); he not only preserved these, but collected transcripts of related letters now apparently lost. Several other collections have yielded their quota, especially the correspondence of the second Samuel Whitbread; and some items have even been drawn from solicitors’ collections. The volume in fact helps to show the extent to which a subject can be documented, even when the prime source has been lost. For the sake of completeness, use has also been made of the published Torrington diaries and Berkeley memoirs.

Editorial method

Almost all entries are calendared in varying degree. In general, earlier documents are printed more fully than later ones, which are often much condensed. Normally, matter not relating to hunting is left out; but in the earlier letters sufficient political detail has been given to show the Whig flavour of the Hunt at that date. In general the aim has been to investigate hunt organisation as an aspect of social history; to show its machinery, and the personal, social or political factors which affected it or were affected by it; and not to chronicle runs. But details of a few runs are given; partly to introduce the love of the open air; and partly for the topographical information which early descriptions of runs sometimes give. Spelling and punctuation are modernised.

Private packs

Early references to hunting often give no indication of what was hunted. Thus in 1678 the Earl of Ailesbury at Houghton Conquest paid wages to a foothuntsman. In 1736 the Carlton parson, Rogers, writes that his son went a-hunting with Mr. Alston’s hounds.