Hunting during the Regency

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:32 pm Post subject: Hunting during the Regency

Here are two nice articles on hunting just posted on the Jane Austen Centre's online magazine:

About hunting:
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/magazine/page.ihtml?pid=632&step=4

About what to wear to a hunt:
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/magazine/page.ihtml?pid=633&step=4
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Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

I find it interesting that they refer to “shooting” as "hunting" (mixing up the lingo in a most confusing way). And that they perpetuate the myth that women didn’t hunt, when we know from period sources that they did! It may have been the rare woman who did so, but it's not that hard to document. And because I know someone will ask, here it is:

From The History of Foxhunting by Roger Longrigg:

1711 (from a period magazine): “I have very frequently the opportunity of seeing a rural Andromache, who came up to town last winter, and is one of the greatest fox-hunters in the country; she talks of hounds and horses, and makes nothing of leaping over a six-bar gate.”

1734 (from a period magazine): “Princess Amelia, out with the duke [her brother, Cumberland] and the staghounds had a fall and was dragged 200 yards, her petticoat caught on the pommel.”

1775 (from Pierce Egan): “Lady Salisbury constantly hunted the Hatfield Hounds . . . riding as hard as any sportsman in the field.” It should be noted that this was her own hunt, which certainly put up some peoples' backs (there are cartoons lampooning her as too masculine, going so far as to show her with 5-o’clock shadow!).

1787 (Rowlandson’s “The Return” from his hunt series; comment from Longrigg): “The lady being helped to the ground is most certainly a member of the pack owner’s household, since . . . only such ladies rode to hounds.”

1810 (From Nimrod’s Tours): His daughters [he being the 3rd Earl of Darlington] hunted with him, in scarlet habits; they were “too well-bred for foxhunting” too mind the smell of the broth which invaded the drawing room from the kennel.

No exact year (Lennox, Merrie England): “Lady Craven, upon Pastime, never shrank from either fence or timber.”

No exact year (early to mid 18th century): The historian of Goodwood [estate of the Duke of Richmond] states that large numbers of ladies came out with the Charlton hounds.
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-Kalen
w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
Book 1: The League of Second Sons
www.isobelcarr.com

Landed Gentry Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 125 Location: PA

I am always amazed at how little foxhunting has changed in two centuries. Just two little pet peeves of mine that the article on attire (I thought) did not clarify well.

Members of hunts are not automatically awarded colo(u)rs, they are earned. I know hunt members that have been hunting for longer than I have been alive that do not have colo(u)rs yet. The "colo(u)rs" indicate the color of the collar of the hunt coat (not simply the pinque. and the collar color is specific to the hunt), The hunts buttons (again specific to the hunt) and the tops of the boots. Men wear tan tops on their boots, women wear patent leather. Despite current equestrian fashion trends, it is quite offensive to hunt members when non hunt members wear colored collars or boot tops (this indicates that they have experience that they do not have. In essence it is like lying on your resume).

The Pink (Pinque... aka scarlet) coat is a top honor (beyond simply having colors), and is reserved for men. The only women to wear scarlet are either MFH (Master of the Fox Hounds), or on the Olympic team (dependent on country). But this part is modern because the first woman MFH was in the 1950's (I think), and about the same era for women riders in the Olympics.

The name of the Pink coat I was always taught it referred to the tailor. The Pinque spelling is quite common in America but is often brushed off as being Bourgeois affectation that supposedly arose in the Victorian era. The Pink is only worn with white breeches.

The greatest significance of the colors is that it separates the experienced members from the less experienced. It allows the experienced members to stand out in the pack so that the less experienced riders know who to follow.(Number one rule of the hunt is never ever pass the staff)

Otherwise I thought both were good articles.
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:17 am Post subject:

Thanks for all the good info, Sarah and Kalen.

Am I right in remembering that fox hunting will soon be illegal in England? Or did that ban never make it through Parliament?
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Landed Gentry Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 125 Location: PA

Fox hunting as it has been know has already been banned in Great Britain, and there are factions (cough PETA cough) which would love to do the same in the US.

But in GB, the hunts still meet... but they cannot ride to the hounds. It is not just foxhunting that has been banned but hunting with a pack of dogs is the actual ban. It killed two birds with one stone Sad

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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:56 pm Post subject:

Um. . . ah, we have fox hunting in the US? When did that happen? Smile

Lois
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From MS Pixel Designs
A Bluestocking's Place Book Blog - http://ov099.wordpress.com

Landed Gentry Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 125 Location: PA

Oh yes. When did it happen? Well, some say consider the first full pack brought over from England to Maryland in 1650 as the beginning. Others consider it to be when Lord Fairfax established his pack for "public" use in 1747 in Virginia. Basically it comes down to both MD and VA wanting to claim to be the first Wink

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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:40 am Post subject:

Oh. . . see, one does learn something new every day. I was totally under the impression that it was purely something you would find in England. Though I guess I should have thought that when people started traveling to the new world, someone might have brought something like sports too over. LOL Smile

Just didn't think of it -- but thanks! Smile

Lois
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From MS Pixel Designs
A Bluestocking's Place Book Blog - http://ov099.wordpress.com

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

For a great take on modern American fox hunting, I highly recommend Rita Mae Brown's "Sister Jane" series. They're murder mysteries set in Virginia and they're very good (so long as you don’t mind major head-hopping and POVs from every animal in the scene, LOL!).
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-Kalen
w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
Book 1: The League of Second Sons
www.isobelcarr.com