Land Use and Conservation  | Head Forester | Head Keeper | Thurlow Hunt

8. The Thurlow Hunt
EDMUND VESTEY

(Continued)
Between 1940 and 1942 hunting ceased while all efforts were concentrated on the war effort, but it then was resumed on a limited scale with a greatly reduced number of Hounds. George Samways who had come as whipper-in in 1937 held the fort as huntsman throughout the war years. Come 1945 a Hunt Committee was formed to take charge of matters with Mr. F. B. Taylor of Dullingham as Chairman.

In 1948 Mr. Harvey Leader began his Mastership, with Charlie Field as huntsman, Mr. Jack Webb of Streetly Hall as Chairman and his brother Henry as Honorary Secretary. This team was largely responsible for setting the pack on a sound footing again after the war-time disruption. The Webb brothers were great-grandsons of Mr. Jonas Webb, an original founder member of the Thurlow Hunt Club in 1858, whose statue stands outside the Animal Physiology Institute at Babraham as a tribute to his contribution to agriculture and in particular to the part he played in establishing the Southdown breed of sheep.

After Mr. Leader resigned as Master he was followed briefly by Mr. Jack Webb and Colonel Douglas Kaye of Brinkley Hall, Mr. Neil Parker and Mrs. Riggall who had come to live at Little Thurlow Hall. Colonel Kaye continued as a most valued Honorary Secretary and Treasurer for a further twenty nine years, while Mr. Webb carried on until 1967 to complete nineteen years as Chairman.

After two seasons Mrs. Riggall was joined in the Mastership by Mrs. Edmund Vestey who then had one season as sole Master before being joined by her husband. Then in 1970 the decision was taken by the Committee to amalgamate with the Puckeridge, where Captain Charles Barclay and his wife were Masters. The Kennels at Thurlow were sold, the Hounds were moved to Brent Pelham and the hunt was renamed the Puckeridge and Thurlow.

Sadly Mrs. Barclay died after two seasons, having contributed so much during her nine years as Master. In 1973 Mr. Vestey began to hunt Hounds in the Thurlow end of the country, a situation which continued until 1985, when the Committee agreed to Mr. and Mrs. Vestey forming a satellite pack at Wadgell's Farm Great Thurlow, converting some redundant farm buildings into kennels.

Taken from pages 52 - 53

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