page_title: Vale of White Horse Hunt
section_title: Mid-19th century
hierarchical_section_title: Vale of White Horse Hunt / Mid-19th century
caption_attribution_description: Caricature of George Whyte-Melville (1821-1878). Caption read "The novelist of Society".
context_page_description: The Vale of the White Horse Hunt is a fox hunting pack that was formed in 1832. It takes its name from the neighbouring Vale of White Horse district, which includes a Bronze Age horse hill carving at Uffington.
  The original country dates to 1760 and included the South Oxfordshire and the Old Berkshire. The Vale Of The White Horse was removed from the Old Berkshire in 1831 and was divided between divisions in Cirencester and Cricklade in 1886. The two divisions re-amalgamated in 1964.
context_section_description: In 1845, when Lord Gifford decided to step down, there was 'no gentleman coming forward willing to embark solely in the responsibilities' of master, so a committee was formed. The committee manager was Raymond Cripps of Cirencester, and, in this manner of operation, the V.W.H continued for the next five seasons.
  In 1850, Henry Villebois, of Markham Hall, Norfolk, who had 'an ample purse and generous spirit', became master Villebois 'belonged to a great sporting family' and, during his time with the V.W.H., 'built up a very good pack, as he studied hound pedigrees immensely'. In his later life, Villebois became master of the West Norfolk. Around this time, in December 1850, the V.W.H hunted 'five days a week; four days are advertised, with a bye-day on Wednesdays (generally)' and the 'pack consists of sixty-three couples of hounds'.
  In spring, 1854, Lord Gifford, who, after his departure, had formed a new pack and hunted in Ludlow country, decided to return and he held the position of master for the next three years.
  The next master, Mr W. F. Croome, had a smaller pack than Villebois, consisting of forty couples of hounds, but he was popular with farmers who subscribed £200 in the year before his retirement. Writing during Croome's time, 'Cecil' summed up the history of the V.W.H. masters:
  The V.W.H. has been notoriously celebrated for the daring deeds of the masters of the hounds in the field, not merely coming under the denomination of hard riders, as that term is commonly accepted, but who would when stimulated by the probability of hounds beating them, or when a quick cast appeared necessary to secure the glories of a brilliant run, charge fences scarcely practicable.
  In March, 1868, Wilson resigned as master, lending his hounds to the V.W.H., which operated under committee, and the supervision of the huntsman, Goodall.
  In 1871, the master was Sir William Throckmorton, who was mentioned in a verse, composed by Mr. P. Kington Oliphant, celebrating the 'Great Wood Run' of the nearby Duke of Beaufort's Hunt, which took place that year.
  On 5 December 1878, novelist and poet George Whyte-Melville had a 'fatal accident' while hunting with the V.W.H. near Braydon Pond. Whyte-Melville 'was galloping along the grass headland of a ploughed field. His horse fell, and he broke his neck and was killed outright'. One of Whyte-Melville's poems, "The Lord Of The Valley", is about hunting in V.W.H country:
  Now here's to the Baron, and all his supporters,
  
       The thrusters, the skirters, the whole of the tale;
  
  And here's to the fairest of all hunting quarters,
  
       The widest of pastures, three cheers for the Vale;
  
  For the fair lady rider, the rogue who beside her
  
       Finds breath in a gallop his suit to advance,
  
  The hounds for our pleasure, that time us the measure.
  
       The Lord of the Valley that leads us the dance!
caption: George Whyte-Melville who died while hunting with the V.W.H. in 1878, from Vanity Fair in 1871
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