PART III: A SUBSCRIPTION PACK

Lord Coventry’s Mastership lasted just six years. During that time he hunted hounds at his own expense as a private pack, which even by that date was regarded as a somewhat old-fashioned manner of running a hunt. In 1874 Lord Coventry took over the Croome, and was succeeded in the Mastership of the North Cotswold by Mr Algernon Rushout. In this year the North Cotswold became a subscription pack, which it has remained to the present day, with the running costs of the hunt covered by annual contributions from the followers.

Mr Rushout enjoyed the longest mastership in the history of the Hunt, remaining in office for twenty-three seasons. He proved immensely popular with all concerned and was indefatigable in showing excellent sport. In all his 23 years he was absent from the field on only three occasions, each time as the result of a bad fall. He was succeeded in 1896 by Captain Cyril Stacey, who remained until 1901, in which year Mr Charles Fitzroy Ponsonby McNeill became Master.

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

The North Cotswold Hunt has enjoyed a succession of fine sportsmen and women in office over the past century. The Mastership of Mr McNeill is particularly notable, both for the excellence of the Hounds he bred at Broadway, and for the great improvement in sport under his regime. As a result of his activities, the North Cots became almost ‘fashionable’. The amount received in subscriptions nearly doubled, and the hunt was described as having ‘ a Leicestershire air about it, though the scene was the North Cotswold stone wall country.’ The Leicestershire reference was particularly apt, for Mr McNeill had previously hunted in the Shires, and had studied the methods of Tom Firr with the Quorn.

In 1906, amid universal regret, Mr McNeill resigned the Mastership of the North Cotswold and went to the Grafton. He was succeeded at Broadway by Sir John Hume Campbell, who purchased 42 couple of bitches from Mr McNeill for the sum of £3,600. Two seasons later, Mr C T Scott of the Manor House, Beckford, became Joint Master, beginning a long association of the Scott family with the NCH . Sir John retired in 1910 and Mr Scott carried on alone until 1921.

THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Although many hunts closed down during the 1914-18 War, as men and horse were drafted overseas and hounds put down, the North Cots resolutely soldiered on and gained its first female Master: when Mr Scott was away on active service, his wife took command in the field. The Hunt owes a deep debt of gratitude to both of them, for so ably keeping things going during these difficult years. In 1921 Mr Scott resigned, and was succeeded by Mr C. B. Kidd, who had formerly been Master of the West Kent and Oakely. Mr Kidd was succeeded by Major C. C. G. Hilton Green in 1924.

Major Hilton Green had the reputation of being one of the finest amateur huntsmen in the country and had been devoted to hunting since his schooldays. In 1913, when at Eton , he was hunting the Eton College Beagles. After active service in the war, he went up to Oxford and hunted the Christ Church Beagles. In 1921 he took his first country as Master of Foxhounds, becoming Master of the Mendip, in his native county. In 1924 he took the North Cotswold, and remained for five seasons, showing excellent sport.

In 1929 Mr Hilton Green succeeded Sir Harold Nutting in the Mastership of the Meynell. Here he remained for two seasons, afterwards taking the Cottesmore. On leaving the North Cotswold, he was succeeded by Major E. A. Fielden M.C., who was Master for three seasons. It was at this time that Hunt raised £1000 to purchase its own hounds, rather than relying on those of a succession of masters.

In 1932, another member of the Scott family, Mr W W B Scott of Broadway, took the Hounds, carrying the horn himself and having G. Goodwin as kennel huntsman and first whipper-in. There were forty-five couple of Hounds in kennel, of which thirty couple were the property of the Committee.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Britian’s hunting culture reached a pinnacle in the inter-war years. The North Cots were famous for showing good sport, with hounds going out three days a week. With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, however, the whole establishment was of necessity much reduced as once again men and horses were conscripted. Mr Scott himself was absent on active service, and the Hounds were hunted by G. Goodwin, assisted by Major the Hon. C. Weld Forester of Broadway and Mr R. L. Pilkington of Stow-on-the-Wold, who acted as Deputy Masters.

Major Scott returned for one more season after the War. In spite of drastic changes to the landscape, including overgrown coverts and rides, hunting resumed three days a week.