Kings of the hunting-field : memoirs and anecdotes of distinguished masters of hounds and other celebrities of the chase with histories of famous packs, and hunting traditions of great houses . dof the Englishmans prowess, saluted him cordially, andturning to his officers, said, Voici, messieurs, le premierchasseur dAngleterre By common consent the sports-men of Great Britain have for two generations endorsedNapoleons estimate of Thomas Assheton Smith, andstill hold him to be the greatest hunting man thatEngland has produced. Amongst a nation of fox-hunters to have won such undisputed pre-emin
Kings of the hunting-field : memoirs and anecdotes of distinguished masters of hounds and other celebrities of the chase with histories of famous packs, and hunting traditions of great houses . dof the Englishmans prowess, saluted him cordially, andturning to his officers, said, Voici, messieurs, le premierchasseur dAngleterre By common consent the sports-men of Great Britain have for two generations endorsedNapoleons estimate of Thomas Assheton Smith, andstill hold him to be the greatest hunting man thatEngland has produced. Amongst a nation of fox-hunters to have won such undisputed pre-eminencepoints to the possession of remarkable qualities, andnot merely physical qualities either. What thosequalities were may be best ascertained by a briefstudy of the mans life and character. Thomas Assheton Smith was a descendant of theold family of Assheton of Ashley Hall, near Bowden inCheshire. His grandfather, Thomas Assheton, assumedthe name of Smith as heir to his uncle. CaptainWilliam Smith. His father married the daughter ofMr Watkin Wynn of Voelas, North Wales, and youngThomas, the mighty hunter, was born in Queen AnneStreet, Cavendish Square, London, on the 2nd ofAugust ^^^ THOMAS ASSH ETON SMITH. assbcton Smitl) ^r, I imagine that, like his friend Arthur Wellesley, Dukeof WeUington, Thomas Assheton Smith was harshlytreated in his early childhood ; for he has left it onrecord that once, in a fit of rage and indignation atsome act of injustice, he knelt beneath a yew tree inthe churchyard and vowed never to do anything underpressure of violence and compulsion. He was but seven}-ears of age when he made that solemn vow, but hekept it most rigidly to the end of his life. A few months after this display of a high spirit in revolthe was sent to Eton. The most remarkable event inhis life during the eleven years he was at school therewas his great fight with Jack Musters, afterwards hislifelong friend. That desperate battle is still spokenof with bated breath among E
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecth, booksubjecthunting
