The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-09-14 00:00:00

(LOCAL NEWS CONTINUED PROM PAGE 4)

SALISBURY.

house

plb.
healthy

DEATH OF THOMAS ASSHETON SMITH, ESQ.
On Friday tidings reached Salisbury, by electric
telegraph, of the death, in the 83rd year of his age,
of the well-known veteran sportsman, Thomas
Asshetmi Smith, Esq., of Tedworth," who has for
many years been justly termed "the father of the
chase" This event took place at his seat at Vaenol,
near Bangor, North Wales, at 10 minutes past 10
o'clock on Thursday night. Thomas Auheton Smith
Esq., was born on the 2nd of August, 1776. He
was descended from Captain William Smith (son of
the Right Hon. John Smith, Speaker of the House
of Commons in the first two Parliaments of Queen
Anne, and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the pre-
ceding reign). It is almost superfluous to state that
Mr. Smith is the seine gentleman whose deeds in
days gone by were chronicled by the immortal
"Nimrod," and whose renown had reached even to
the ears of the great Napoleon, by whom, on re•
caption at the French Court, he was saluted AA
'Le premier ahausur d'Angletarre." Mr. Asshaton
Smith commenced fox•hunting in his early days.
and was well known in sporting circles as a miracle
on horseback. After hunting In Northamptonshire,
he collected a first-rate pack from different kennels
—the best portion of which he purchased of Mr.
Musters, of Colwick Hall, for 1000 guineas, when the
lsetdiamed gentleman gave up the-Nottifighamshire
country. With a line stud of horses and hounds is
bought the Quorn of Lowl Foley in 11400, end after
"keeping the game alive" for twelve years, he left
thst country, and took his stud to Lincoln, to work
the Burton Hunt. He held this capital country for 0
years, leaving in 1026, when he was suooseded by
Bir Richard -Hutton. On succeeding to his paternal
property in Wilts and Han!' in 1826, he immediately
removed with his establishment to the balls of his
forefathers, out commenced the good work, under
circumstances of such novelty to him, with All the
ardour that ohamoterised his Wing at Qom. The
emotion of kennels and stables was considered no less
nermeary than tie rebuilding of the family mansion
and bolds were completad with as moth mapidoenos
M toad be blended with minty, loan ides any be

formod of this princely estate, when we inform our
readers that the oonservatory (which is joined by •
corridor 965 feet in length, accessible either from the
house or the stables) manure' 310 feet in length,
and 40 feet in width. Here an ranged thousands
'lin, of every imaginable hue, in the most
and beautiful condition. In short, the
arrangements in connection with this magnificent
establishment justly ranked among the first in the
country. We may remark that the late Mr. Smith's
establishment of horses and hounds, as regarded
quality, might be equalled but could not be surpassed
by any in I.ngland. The stables contain thirty line
horses in fine oondition ; and the kennels about
ninety couple of working hounds—the pack of bitches
are perfect beauties. The hounds-were usually worked
ail days • week—Mr. Smith, when in full vigour, talc.
ing them out on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Fridays, and his veteran huntsman, Carter, on
Wednesdays and Saturdays—the latter principally
in woodlands. The grand "open day" at 'Tedworth
was always signalized by a public breakfast,
on a grand scale. This sumptuous repast was
usually laid out in ttdrating the u
iniag-room,
w., the splendid
gold pwo and cope d
with the famed atetnette of the Doke of

"www••••••••••••••••=....m.sweig •I •r.
at the last public breakfast in November, 1837, When
the pack wee brought out in the front of the house,
the worthy Squire was surrounded by upwards of 600
ladies and gentlemen on horseback. Like the genzawl
'of sportsmen the Squire of Tedworth was possessed
of a warm heart, and "many a time and oft" has he
secretly helped those who have seen better days.
Mr. Smith represented Andover in several Parlia-
ments, and subsequently eat for Carmarthenshire.
He had not, however, of late years sat in Parliament.
Mr. Smith leaves a widow, but no family. Mr.
Assheton Smith has provided for a length of time for
the sport of his own neighbourhood solely at his own
expense, and we can only quote him as a bright ex-
ample of the satisfaction to be derived from the per-
formance of such a duty as that of residintge:
his own property. He was the builder of the
sized and greatest number of yachts of any one
private person in England. On the news of his
death reaching Carnarvon the flag of the Royal
Welsh Yacht Club, of which he was Commodore,
was hoisted half-mast high, and other tokens of
respect shown to his memory.

SUDDHH.DEATH AT THE SOUTH-WESTERN RAIL-
WAY STATION.—On Tuesday an inquest was held at
the Railway Inn, Milford, before R. M. Wilson,
Esq., on the body of Mr. George Clark, a farmer of
Penton Mewsey, Hants, who died on the preceding
Thursday afternoon. Mr. Bridger Gibbs, of the Bell
and Crown, Salisbury, deposed that the deceased
dined at his house on the previous day. He left
about 2 o'clock saying that he was going to Mr.
Buckell's and that he should leave by the quarter
before three train. He appeared to be guite well,
but said that he had been suffering from pain in the
chest during the last few days. He was over 70 years
of age. Charles Rrangell Long, a ticket•taker at the
South-Western Railway station, deposed that about
18 or 19 minutes before three o'clock on Thursday
afternoon he saw the deceased coming in at the gate
of the station in a hurried manner. He came to that
part of the departure platform where witness was
standing, and he asked him where he was going. He
replied he was going to Andover. Witness then
opened the door of a second-class carriage, and put
him in. He sat down very heavily, as though he was
much exhausted. Witness asked him to show his
ticket. He took it out of his pocket, and witness
thanked him and went away. About a minute or two
afterwards he saw two ladies get out of the carriage.
This attracted his attention, and he asked them if
they were going by that train. They said they were,
but they thought the gentlemen inside was ill. Wit-
ness then went to the door, and saw the deceased
struggling. He untied his neckcloth, and called for
assistance, which was rendered. The deceased was
taken out of the carriage, and placed in a chair, but
he breathed only twice. He foamed very much at
the mouth. Mr. Lush, surgeon, deposed to being
called in to see the deceased about three o'clock on
Thurs lay afternoon. He was a stout man of full
habit, and he (Mr. Lush) was of opinion that he died
from apoplexy, which might have been brought on by
walking hastily to the station. The jury returned a
verdict of "Died by the Visitation of God."