grove and rufford foxhounds
James Barclay, MFH (1959−2021)
James Barclay, MFH, hunting the Fitzwilliam hounds, 1993
We are deeply saddened to report the passing of Maurice James Barclay, ex-MFH, at age sixty-two. His death is attributed to heart failure.
After serving as Master of five British foxhound packs, his response to Britain’s Hunting Act of 2004 was to devote himself to educating and persuading everyone he could reach―whether pro-hunting or anti-hunting, adult or child, wealthy countryman or underprivileged child of the city―of foxhunting’s intrinsic value to England’s story-book countryside. To James, nothing was more important than saving the countryside.
Hunting Convictions Reversed; Critical Evidence Withheld?
Huntsman Paul Larby and the foxhounds of the Grove and Rufford, UK / James Barclay photoThree happy foxhunters in Britain just had their convictions quashed after having been found guilty and fined last year in court.
Two men and a woman affiliated with the Grove and Rufford Foxhounds in Nottinghamshire were charged and prosecuted in a British Magistrates Court for illegally hunting a fox. Huntsman Paul Larby, terrier man Peter White, and whipper-in Jane Wright were convicted and fined £1,128; £853; and £448 respectively. But did the police and Crown Prosecutor withhold evidence that would have exonerated the three?
New Foxhunting Website Launched in England
James Barclay, ex-MFH, whose elegant prose has appeared (and will continue to appear) in Foxhunting Life, has launched a new subscription website titled, “For the Love of Hunting England. The new portal promises to be full of news, information, and features about hunting in Great Britain and further afield. James, whose family has been deeply involved in foxhunting for many generations and who has been a Master of several packs of hounds, including the Cottesmore, Fitzwilliam, Grove and Rufford, and Essex and Suffolk, said, “I hope that this new website will be of interest to hunting people all over the world, but I decided to call it For the Love of Hunting England because it is in Old England that the sport as we know it has its roots.” The site will be a portal for James’ passion for and knowledge of hounds across Britain, and the breadth of his interest in hunting and the personalities involved. The annual subscription fee will be £15. A special price of £12.99 is available for subscriptions purchased before Christmas. Visit the website for more information. Posted September 1, 2013
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Introducing James Barclay, ex-MFH
A young James Barclay while Master of the Fitzwilliam Foxhounds (UK)Allow me to introduce James Barclay, a retired Master of Foxhounds in England and descendant of a distinguished foxhunting family. I am pleased and honored to announce that Foxhunting Life will be publishing James’s informative and thoughtful essays in future issues.
James’s family roots are with the Puckeridge Foxhounds, a hunt in Hertfordshire dating back to 1725. His sister has served as Master since 1987. Two brothers, his mother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather also served as Masters of the Puckeridge, that dynasty starting in 1896.
James’s first day of hunting was with the Puckeridge back in the 1960s. He was astride a donkey, and, by tradition, he wore a small version of the family scarlet coat which each family member going back at least three generations had worn on their first hunt!
