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1066 William the Conqueror lands and defeats Harold at
Hastings 1089 William establishes New Forest as Royal
Hunting Forest. Strict laws laid down which shape the Forest as it is
today.
1675 First records of Fox Hunting in the New Forest
1781 New Forest Hounds formed - known as Mr Gilbert’s Hounds,
kennelled at Lamb’s Corner, Bartley
1789 New Forest Hounds Hunt Club formed.
French Revolution
George Washington becomes first President of USA
1808 John Warde becomes Master and keeps his hounds at Kings
House (now Queens House)
1814 Rabies outbreak. 40 couple of hounds die. Sam Nicolls
takes over as Master and moves kennels to Boltons Bench
1819 The first New Forest Hounds Hunt Ball.
Sir Standford Raffles founds Singapore.
1828 Mr Wyndham moves kennels to Furzey Lawn (their present
location).
1829 Stephenson’s Rocket invented
1836 Visit to the Forest by the Royal Buckhounds. Over 2000
visitors, including 14 Masters of Hounds
1840 Penny Post starts
1850 Railways come to the New Forest.
1878 Sir George Meryick becomes Master. The hey day of Hunting
in the New Forest. The railway transported horses to the New Forest
in the spring when other packs had to stop because of growing crops.
1885 The Forest is divided into the Eastern and Western Packs
for 10 years
Petrol driven car invented by Carl Benz. Goes on sale in 1888.
1895 The country is reunited under Mr Powell. Fox mange
reaches the Forest after sweeping the rest of the country for three
years.
Wireless invented by Marconi. First public film show in Paris.
1901 Admiral Murray is killed whilst out hunting. With monies
donated a track is built through Withybed Bottom, south of Stoney
Cross. The stone marking Murrays Passage is still visible today.
1909 Henry Ford starts production of the Model T in Britain
1914 First World War. Hunting continues, but only just, as
horses were commandeered by the Army and only veteran horses were
left to hunt. War was declared on 4th August 1914, just as cub
hunting started. Horses were asked for by the War Office for the
Cavalry. Within 10 days 15,000 hunters were ready for departure. All
lawn meets were cancelled, nobody wore scarlet. The biggest field
seen anywhere in Britain during the 1914/15 season was 20, which
included the Master and Hunt Servants.
1918 First World War ends. Women over 30 get the vote.
1919 Major George Meyrick becomes master. There is an outbreak
of rabies and all dogs have to be muzzled. Hounds are exempt.
1939 Second World War starts. Hunting in the Forest is reduced
from 3 to 2 days a week.
1942 Hunting is reduced to one day a week. Old timers keep the
NFH going, plus service men on leave. The airfields at Beaulieu,
Holmsley and Stoney Cross, along with the bombing range at Ashley
Walk, severely restrict the hunting.
1945 War ends. Hunting 2 days a week.
1947 Ladies are admitted to the Hunt Club. At first many are
reluctant to put their names forward.
1956 Sir George Meryrick retires.
1962 Sir Newton Ryecroft becomes joint master. He is arguably
one of the finest hound breeders ever and outraged the
traditionalists by using the woolly Welsh foxhound cross.
1969 New Forest Medyg born. An outstanding hound who was used
extensively as a stud hound and whose line can be seen in many
kennels today.
1984 Sir Newton retires from the Mastership.
1992 Captain Simon Clarke become joint master, hunting hounds
himself.
1993 Mrs Anne Millar joins Capt Clarke in the mastership. Mrs
Millar is only the second person to have been master of Buckhounds
and Foxhounds.
1996 Capt Clarke retires from mastership. New mastership of
Adam Waugh,
George Biddle and Bob Everest, with Adam Waugh hunting hounds,
starts. Adam is the youngest Master of Foxhounds in the country at
the time.
1997 Adam Waugh and Roderick Moore become Joint Masters.
Countryside Rally, the biggest ever rally (120,000 people) held in
Hyde Park on July 10th
Labour win general election. Michael Foster intoduces private
members bill.
1998 The Countryside March (280,000 people) goes to London on
March 1st.
Roderick Moore, Jeremy Scott-Bolton and Christopher
Lawrence-Price become Joint Masters, with Paul Woodhouse hunting
hounds.
Mike Foster's private members bill withdrawn
1999 Jeremy Scott-Bolton is joined by John Prideaux and
Derek Laud as Masters.
Derek Laud is the first black MFH in Britain.
2000 The New Forest Hounds become a committee run pack for
2nd time in its history.
The Burns report is published. This is an independent report
commissioned by the government, which sees no reason to ban hunting
as it is no more cruel than any other form of fox control. Parliament
is to be allowed a vote on hunting …..
2001 17th January. Parliament takes the vote to
start the procedure to introduce legislation to ban hunting.
Foot and Mouth disease erupts in Britain for the first time since
1967. The Hunting season finishes in February. Huge impact on outdoor
activities.
The House of Lords vote that Hunting should continue with self
regulation.
The New Forest Hounds create their own web site. |
