A HISTORY OF KENT hen Mr. Rigden, who was out cub-hunting Mr. William Edward Rigden completed in October, near Leeds Castle, was thro
his twenty-one years of mastership in 1895,
from his horse which put its foot in a hidden and the hunt, by way of commemorating the ditch. The popular master, then in his event, presented him in November of that eightieth year, was pitched upon his head, year, with a cleverly executed hunting picture, and was picked up quite dead with a broken the work of Mr. Heywood Hardy. The neck. His mastership of the hunt had lasted, painting represented the master mounted on almost continuously, for a period of about his favourite hunter Battledore, leaving 40 years, and Mr. Hall was elected in his covert with his hounds. The presentation stead. In 1872 Machin went as huntsman was made at a dinner held at the Faversham to the Pytchley, and was succeeded by Tom Drill Hall, at which Lord Harris presided. Hills, who came from the Cotswold country. Mr. Rigden's speech in acknowledgement Mr. Hall's mastership only lasted until of the gift began with the following charac- 1874, when he presented the hounds to Mr. teristic and pretty little anecdote: 'The William Edward Rigden, elder son of Mr. other day,' said the master, ' as I was out William Rigden ; and Tom Drayton of the hunting, a very favourite hound got his leg Warwickshire began as huntsman to the new in a rabbit wire and was moaning with pain, master. This arrangement lasted for a I jumped down and released him, and he couple of seasons, ^^hen Mr. Rigden decided kept quiet, letting me do just what I liked, to carry the horn himself with J. Ford as and when I had done he gave a yelp of delight, whipper-in and Tom Pedley as second whip, and jumped up and licked my face. I only Ford left in 1878, and W. Burton, first whip wish I knew of something I could do as to Lord Middleton, took his place. The eloquent, as brief, and as convincing as the latter only stayed for a season, returning action of that hound was, so that I could to Lord Middleton to act as huntsman ; and show my gratitude to you.' Pedley was thereupon promoted to first whip Seven years later, on the occasion of his A^ith R. Jay to act as his second. marriage in December 1902 with Miss Jessie Meanwhile Mr. Rigden was concentrating Moray Brown, the members of the hunt his attention on improving the pack, and made Mr. Rigden a present of a silver tea made purchases at several sales, notably at and coffee service as a further mark of their those of Mr. Musters, the Honourable Mark esteem, and Mrs. Rigden was the recipient RoUe, and Mr. Arkwright of the North of a diamond brooch. Herefordshire. He also secured a young On 26 September 1904, at the end of thirty dr.nft from the Duke of Grafton's, and in years' mastership, Mr. Rigden died some- time had a first-clase lot of working hounds, what suddenly of blood-poisoning at the age As years went on he m.iintaincd the standard of 61. With the exception of one or two of the pack by the use of sires from the Duke minor breaks and the fcAv years between Mr. of Grafton's, the Fitzwilliam, Mr. Fenwick's, William Rigden senior's death and the time and Lord Guilford's kennels at Waldcrshare. when his son took over the pack from Mr. It was a great difficulty in t]ose days to Hall, father and son between them had get puppies put out to walk, and Mr. Rigden hunted the pack for a period of nearly eighty had some trouble in disposing of his ten or years. At the time of Mr. W. E. Rigden's twelve couples every season ; but at length death there were fifty couples of hounds in by offering prizes for the three best dogs at kennel, and another forty couples out at walk, an annual show, he managed to increase his Never was there a straighter rider than puppies at w.ilk until at last he often had Mr. William Edward Rigden, nor a master out as many as thirty to forty couples. Mr. who knew the capabilities of horse or hound John Rigden, the master's brother, .ilso gave better than he did. During his long reign a prize for the best couple of walked puppies, he placed the hunt on a secure foundation Some fifty farmers used to attend the annual and made himself popular wherever he went, puppy show, and the lunch afterwards was He had to contend with many difficulties, always a merry function with a merry and shooting interests clashed with his own sportsman at the head of it. on more than one occasion. But he was a In 1877 Mr. Rigden purchased twelve man who could retire gracefully as well as acres of land at Wren's Hill, for the erection go forward, and there was not a soul in the of new kennels and stables, for by this time country with whom he had ever come in the accommodation at the old kennels had contact but was sincerely grieved at the loss become outgrown. The master was his own of so good a master and so excellent a sports- architect, and the new stables were built to man in and out of the saddle, accommodate twenty hunters. There is one little anecdote told of him 480
