ARCHIVE: Horn Comes to Auction!
A copper and nickel hunting horn engraved ' Will Goodall Belvoir Kennels', the maker's name Schott & Co. 159 Regent Street, London to the reverse. 8 7/8 in long and a leather horn case.
The horn is thought to have belonged to Will Goodall's son 'Young Will Goodall' the renown huntsman to the Pytchley and probably presented to him as a young man while serving as whipper-in at the Belvoir in 1870 as a promising young huntsman to be.
Will Goodall remained at the Belvoir under Frank Gillard until 1874 when he was enticed away to become Huntsman to the Pytchley under Lord Spencer. Like his father young Will Goodall was devoted to his hounds and his hounds to him and was renown for dismounting and making a fuss of his hounds.
Young Will became master of the Pytchley in 1890, and five years later in 1895 was struck down by a fatal illness and died. It was said by Harry Bentley that for twenty two years he had been the very spirit of the hunt and wrote a poem in Memorandum.
The horn was purchased at auction in Harare, Zimbabwe almost two years ago and thought to have found its way from the UK through hunting connections to the Belvoir.
For more information please contact Luke Macdonald at Cheffins on 01223 213343 or email luke.macdonald@cheffins.co.uk.
