An aristocratic shooting match

England versus Scotland matches always raise passions and here is an account of a shooting contest that took place in 1823. It was written by Sir Herbert Maxwell, of Monreith estate, near Port William, and appeared in a book written when he was 88, published in 1932.

Sir Herbert wrote: “The following account of a match at partridge shooting was written by my father who was present all the time during the two days in October 1823. In comparing the match with present-day conditions, it is worth remembering that one hundred years ago the sportsman carried a muzzle-loader, flint-lock gun and shot all his birds over setters or pointers.”

Sir Herbert's father wrote: “My father [Sir Herbert's grandfather, who died in 1838 and who had lost an arm commanding the 26th Cameronians under Sir John Moore at Coruna] made a bet, I forget with whom, that he would find a man to shoot 100 brace [a brace is two birds, so, 200 birds] of partridges in one day on his estate in Wigtownshire. He asked Lord Kennedy [Son of the first Marquess of Ailsa, died 1832] to do it for him, who, after pronouncing it impossible, backed himself to shoot partridges on two days in Scotland against Mr W. Coke [Nephew of Coke of Holkham who was created Earl of Leicester in 1837] in Norfolk in the month of October.

“Lord Kennedy had intended to shoot his first day at Newton Don near Kelso, and was not expected at Monreith for ten days. My father was not at home, and only I, a lad of seventeen, was here to receive him when he arrived unexpectedly at Port William about 9 a.m., having travelled all night.

“Hearing of his arrival I went and found him, Valentine Maher (umpire for Coke) and Farquharson of Blackhall just finishing breakfast. Lord Kennedy gave me a letter he had from Sir Alexander Don saying that he could not ensure him twenty brace at Newton Don as the corn was all uncut, and advising to shoot both the days of his match with Coke at Monreith. In consequences he had posted [travelled] all night in order to be here in time for the first appointed day, as well as for the hundred brace match. I told Lord Kennedy I could not let him go on the ground kept for the hundred brace match, and I went off in search of our gamekeeper, who told me he could only take his lordship either to ground that had been shot over in September, or to other ground which had been driven and disturbed in preparation for the hundred brace match.

“About eleven o'clock Lord Kennedy started, and that day got between forty and fifty brace. Coke shooting on the same day at Holkham ninety-three brace. My father came home that evening, having been well night lost in a gale in his yacht. He wished Lord Kennedy to stay and walk over the ground before the second day of the match, but he would not, and returned only on the evening before the second day's shooting.

“On that day, when the hundred brace match was to be decided, when Kennedy stopped at a farm house at 11.30 a.m., he had sixty brace in the bag, and the best of the ground before him. It was still a fine day. We had a brace of steady old setters ready for him, but he would not shoot a bird over them, insisting upon using his own black pointers, which had never before been shot over except on moorland. Also he refused to follow the coveys marked into whins and broken ground, seeming to think that would not be fair, although Coke's umpire Val Maher agreed that he ought to do so.

“The only 'hedge' which my father had to a heavy book was a bet of some twenty guineas that Kennedy would not get a shot in twenty minutes if he persevered over a line of bare grass fields, instead of going to the driven and marked coveys. As it was, he got 93½ brace and Coke at Holkham 96 brace. I think these were the numbers; at any rate neither of them made the 100 brace, while each shot more than 90 brace.”

A footnote explains: “In Yarrell's British Birds, vol ii. p. 389 (ed 1856), the numbers differ from those given by my father as follows:

“First Day. Sir William Maxwell's figures: Lord Kennedy, 45 brace. Mr Coke 93 brace. Yarrell's figures: Lord Kennedy 50 brace. Mr Coke 80½ brace. Second Day. Sir William Maxwell's figures: Lord Kennedy 93½ brace. Mr Coke 96 brace. Yarrell's figures: Lord Kennedy 82 brace. Mr Coke 87½ brace.”

The account continues: “A great many dead birds were picked up here afterwards. Both Val Maher and Farquharson were disappointed with Lord Kennedy's shooting; but I have never seen anything so good. Certainly very few birds were missed, and the whole ground was strewn with cripples for days afterwards. I recollect my father saying nothing on earth would induce him to allow another match to be shot on his land. I am convinced that Lord Kennedy killed and 'kilt' 120 brace that day. None of us had the least doubt – nor, after the event had Lord Kennedy himself – that he would have killed over one hundred brace had be shot over old dogs and gone where our gamekeeper advised. I remember being told that Coke had his birds driven into turnips, and shot over an old pointer 'as slow as a man.”'

Sir Herbert Maxwell commented: “A radical and, in my opinion, regrettable change was wrought in grouse and partridge shooting by the introduction of breech-loading guns. That became general about the end of the 'sixties [1860s], and tended to change field sportsmen into mere marksmen. Previous to that shooters relied upon well-trained setters or pointers to find game for them, and due consideration had to be given to the dogs. They must not be hustled in drawing up the birds; they got a few minutes rest at 'down charge' for the muzzle-loader, which was of special advantage to them in hot weather. I always derived more pleasure from the behaviour of the dogs that found the game for me than from the mere knack of bagging it.

“A discussion on this subject with a neighbouring laird, Machaffie or Torrhousemuir, resulted in a match being arranged between us – he to have birds driven into turnips and walk them up, which he maintained was the surest way to make a good bag. I to shoot over pointers handled by myself. The result was very near a tie. Machaffie bagged 57½ brace of partridges and 5 grouse; and I, working three brace of pointers – one brace at a time – shot 61 brace of partridges and one grouse. I was very tired that night, for in addition to working the pointer I lifted practically every bird from my own retriever.”

Earlier in the book Sir Herbert gives details of the birds shot by Lord Stair on Tuesday, 3rd December 1931. Lord Stair, of Castle Kennedy near Stranraer, said: “Five of us, including myself, went out to fill every column of the game book, and succeeded as follows:

“1 grey-lag goose, 4 grouse, 2 blackcocks, 1 partridge, 6 cock pheasants, 4 woodcockes, 4 snipe, 2 golden plover, 88 wood pigeons, 2 stock doves, 1 water hen, 1 sparrow hawk, 1 mallard, 1 widgeon, 3 teal, 1 shoveller, 1 pochard, 1 tufted duck, 4 golden eye, 3 roedeer, 3 brown hares, 1 blue hare, 11 rabbits, 2 carrion crows.”

Monreith House and estate, Galloway, see: www.monreithhouse.co.uk. A sign at the estate says that it is open from Good Friday to September 30. Telephone 01988 700 248. Holkham Hall is next to the village of Holkham, on the north coast of Norfolk. It is at the heart of a 25,000 acre private estate and is the home of the Earls of Leicester. It is open to the public for tours. See: www.holkham.co.uk. Presumably, shooting continues at both estates today. The account of the 1823 shooting match can be found, pages 130-134, Maxwell, Sir Herbert. Evening Memories. Alexander Maclehose and Co, London. 1932. The 1931 bag appears on page 14.