Perhaps no man was more at the center of 19th century British falconry than Gerald William Lascelles. Around him were tightly circled the members of the Old Hawking Club whose dedication to the sport is legendary. Their exploits on the Salisbury Plain and on the moors of the north brought the art of falconry to pitch not seen in many years. His friendship and assistance were generously extended throughout his life to others not members of the club. Men such as Charles Hawkins Fisher, Edward Blair Michell, Thomas Mann, Pichot in France, and Benjamin Hoffman in America were deemed his friends and confidants. Lascelles’ letters and visits tied many of these men together who might otherwise have gone solitary ways. Through his books and numerous articles on the sport he extended his reach to laymen worldwide who read of, and hopefully received a greater understanding of, a sport that was deemed somewhat passe’ even in the Britain of his time. These writings of his are still greatly enjoyed today, a hundred years on.
Gerald William Lascelles, the third son of the 4th Earl of Harewood, was born in Goldsbrough, Yorkshire, on October 26, 1849. One of the great families of the north of England, the Lascelles trace their ancestry back to John De Lascelles of Hinderskelfe, County York (now Castle Howard) in 1315 during the time of King Edward II. If falconry can be said to be “in your blood” it is true for Gerald Lascelles. His paternal great-grandmother was the sister of renowned falconer and eccentric, Sir John Saunders Sebright.
Lascelles grew up on the expansive Harewood Estate where wildlife and sport were readily at hand. His rambles across the hundreds of acres of parkland, and delight in the natural world he found there, instilled in him a lifelong love of the countryside and its denizens. He was blooded at the age of six and took up shooting as soon as his father deemed him reliable enough to carry a gun. He was educated at Eton, where he was in Mr. F.E. “Judy” Durnford's house, and afterwards matriculated from Magdalene College, Cambridge. With the Harewood Estate entailed to his oldest brother Lascelles knew he would have to make his own way in the world. A brief stint with Lloyd’s in London and afterwards a position in a manufacturing company in Leeds were not agreeable to his country heart. A letter written to his falconry friend Lord Lilford in 1879 speaks of his unhappiness with his factory position and asks if Lilford knows of anyone “who may have a vacancy for an estate agent, head or sub.” Through connections and competency he was able to land the prestigious job of Deputy Surveyor Of The New Forest in 1880. He held this position for 35 years and wrote of it in his delightful book, “Thirty-five Years In The New Forest”.
Gerald William Lascelles began his falconry career as a young boy with a sparrow-hawk under the tutelage of Sir Charles Slingsby of Scriven. At age 17 (1866) he was invited to spend his Easter holiday on the Salisbury Plain with Cecil Duncombe, a member of the Old Hawking Club. The club was managed by Clough Newcome, a former member of the renowned Loo Hawking Club in Holland, with Robert Barr as the professional falconer. The beauty and finesse of rook hawking thrilled him and his heart was set on training longwings from then on. While at Cambridge he kept a merlin in his rooms and would often traipse over to the Newcome's whenever hawks were to be flown. During the Franco-Prussian War Lascelles was able to partcipate in the sport often as the entire mews of falcons owned by the Champagne Hawking Club of France was sent to Britain for safekeeping. These were quartered at the home of the Mahrajah Dhuleep Singh within easy reach of his college.
In 1871, with the death of Clough Newcome, the Old Hawking Club broke up and Lascelles was gifted with a falcon that had been allotted to Duncombe. He rook hawked with this for several seasons on the Salisbury Plain, along with others who were smitten by the sport. Several of the former OHC members chafed at the loss of the club that had been an important part of their lives, and in 1872 the club was reconstituted with Gerald Lascelles as Manager and Honorary Secretary. He held this position for 44 years, until 1915, when declining health forced him to resign his responsibilities.
The sport provided by the club Lascelles managed is looked upon by many as the golden era of hawking on the Salisbury Plain. Each year, with one of the inns in the area selected as their headquarters, the members would gather with hawks, horses, and dogs for a month or more of classic sport. Visitors from Britain and elsewhere were often welcomed by the OHC to view the flights. Lascelles obligations as Deputy Surveyor did not allow him to spend the entire time there, but it was a rare week when he wasn't to be found in the hawking fields at one time or another. In the fall, Lascelles arranged for certain of the falcons to be sent north with OHC members for autumn grouse hawking. His work as Deputy Surveyor made northerly visits almost impossible, so his hawking was principally confined to that on the Plain. Shooting, at which he excelled, was his principal sport in the autumn of each year, especially while living in Lyndhurst.
Today we principally know Gerald Lascelles through the books and articles he authored. In 1892 the Badminton Library book "Coursing and Falconry" was published, with Major Harding Cox the author of the first part and Lascelles the author of the second. This complete edition was reprinted in 1899 and 1901. In 1971 the falconry section of "Coursing and Falconry" was reprinted on its own, and to this the publisher gave the title "The Art Of Falconry". This has also been reprinted several times and is still available today, much admired and much referred to by falconers a hundred years on.
In 1875 Constance Agatha Mary Fitzclarence, only child of the late Mr. John Burton-Phillipson, of Sunninghill, Berkshire, captured Gerald’s heart and they were married in a quiet ceremony on February 9th. They had four children: Gerald Hubert (1876-1928), John Beilby (1884-1907), Richard (born & died 1887) and Cynthia Rachel (1885-1961). In 1920 Cynthia married the 4th Baron Poltimore and it is through her descendents that the line Gerald Lascelles carries on.
In his book, Thirty-five Years In The New Forest, Lascelles wrote of his fears that the sport of falconry would die when he and his generation of countrymen passed from this earth. He also wrote of his hopes that he was wrong in this, that "better and younger men will carry on what has been well described as 'the noblest sport in which man has ever indulged'...after I have ceased to take a part in it."
Gerald William Lascelles, the third son of the 4th Earl of Harewood, was born in Goldsbrough, Yorkshire, on October 26, 1849. One of the great families of the north of England, the Lascelles trace their ancestry back to John De Lascelles of Hinderskelfe, County York (now Castle Howard) in 1315 during the time of King Edward II. If falconry can be said to be “in your blood” it is true for Gerald Lascelles. His paternal great-grandmother was the sister of renowned falconer and eccentric, Sir John Saunders Sebright.
Lascelles grew up on the expansive Harewood Estate where wildlife and sport were readily at hand. His rambles across the hundreds of acres of parkland, and delight in the natural world he found there, instilled in him a lifelong love of the countryside and its denizens. He was blooded at the age of six and took up shooting as soon as his father deemed him reliable enough to carry a gun. He was educated at Eton, where he was in Mr. F.E. “Judy” Durnford's house, and afterwards matriculated from Magdalene College, Cambridge. With the Harewood Estate entailed to his oldest brother Lascelles knew he would have to make his own way in the world. A brief stint with Lloyd’s in London and afterwards a position in a manufacturing company in Leeds were not agreeable to his country heart. A letter written to his falconry friend Lord Lilford in 1879 speaks of his unhappiness with his factory position and asks if Lilford knows of anyone “who may have a vacancy for an estate agent, head or sub.” Through connections and competency he was able to land the prestigious job of Deputy Surveyor Of The New Forest in 1880. He held this position for 35 years and wrote of it in his delightful book, “Thirty-five Years In The New Forest”.
Gerald William Lascelles began his falconry career as a young boy with a sparrow-hawk under the tutelage of Sir Charles Slingsby of Scriven. At age 17 (1866) he was invited to spend his Easter holiday on the Salisbury Plain with Cecil Duncombe, a member of the Old Hawking Club. The club was managed by Clough Newcome, a former member of the renowned Loo Hawking Club in Holland, with Robert Barr as the professional falconer. The beauty and finesse of rook hawking thrilled him and his heart was set on training longwings from then on. While at Cambridge he kept a merlin in his rooms and would often traipse over to the Newcome's whenever hawks were to be flown. During the Franco-Prussian War Lascelles was able to partcipate in the sport often as the entire mews of falcons owned by the Champagne Hawking Club of France was sent to Britain for safekeeping. These were quartered at the home of the Mahrajah Dhuleep Singh within easy reach of his college.
In 1871, with the death of Clough Newcome, the Old Hawking Club broke up and Lascelles was gifted with a falcon that had been allotted to Duncombe. He rook hawked with this for several seasons on the Salisbury Plain, along with others who were smitten by the sport. Several of the former OHC members chafed at the loss of the club that had been an important part of their lives, and in 1872 the club was reconstituted with Gerald Lascelles as Manager and Honorary Secretary. He held this position for 44 years, until 1915, when declining health forced him to resign his responsibilities.
The sport provided by the club Lascelles managed is looked upon by many as the golden era of hawking on the Salisbury Plain. Each year, with one of the inns in the area selected as their headquarters, the members would gather with hawks, horses, and dogs for a month or more of classic sport. Visitors from Britain and elsewhere were often welcomed by the OHC to view the flights. Lascelles obligations as Deputy Surveyor did not allow him to spend the entire time there, but it was a rare week when he wasn't to be found in the hawking fields at one time or another. In the fall, Lascelles arranged for certain of the falcons to be sent north with OHC members for autumn grouse hawking. His work as Deputy Surveyor made northerly visits almost impossible, so his hawking was principally confined to that on the Plain. Shooting, at which he excelled, was his principal sport in the autumn of each year, especially while living in Lyndhurst.
Today we principally know Gerald Lascelles through the books and articles he authored. In 1892 the Badminton Library book "Coursing and Falconry" was published, with Major Harding Cox the author of the first part and Lascelles the author of the second. This complete edition was reprinted in 1899 and 1901. In 1971 the falconry section of "Coursing and Falconry" was reprinted on its own, and to this the publisher gave the title "The Art Of Falconry". This has also been reprinted several times and is still available today, much admired and much referred to by falconers a hundred years on.
In 1875 Constance Agatha Mary Fitzclarence, only child of the late Mr. John Burton-Phillipson, of Sunninghill, Berkshire, captured Gerald’s heart and they were married in a quiet ceremony on February 9th. They had four children: Gerald Hubert (1876-1928), John Beilby (1884-1907), Richard (born & died 1887) and Cynthia Rachel (1885-1961). In 1920 Cynthia married the 4th Baron Poltimore and it is through her descendents that the line Gerald Lascelles carries on.
In his book, Thirty-five Years In The New Forest, Lascelles wrote of his fears that the sport of falconry would die when he and his generation of countrymen passed from this earth. He also wrote of his hopes that he was wrong in this, that "better and younger men will carry on what has been well described as 'the noblest sport in which man has ever indulged'...after I have ceased to take a part in it."
Perhaps no man was more at the center of 19th century British falconry than Gerald William Lascelles. Around him were tightly circled the members of the Old Hawking Club whose dedication to the sport is legendary. Their exploits on the Salisbury Plain and on the moors of the north brought the art of falconry to pitch not seen in many years. His friendship and assistance were generously extended throughout his life to others not members of the club. Men such as Charles Hawkins Fisher, Edward Blair Michell, Thomas Mann, Pichot in France, and Benjamin Hoffman in America were deemed his friends and confidants. Lascelles’ letters and visits tied many of these men together who might otherwise have gone solitary ways. Through his books and numerous articles on the sport he extended his reach to laymen worldwide who read of, and hopefully received a greater understanding of, a sport that was deemed somewhat passe’ even in the Britain of his time. These writings of his are still greatly enjoyed today, a hundred years on.
Gerald William Lascelles, the third son of the 4th Earl of Harewood, was born in Goldsbrough, Yorkshire, on October 26, 1849. One of the great families of the north of England, the Lascelles trace their ancestry back to John De Lascelles of Hinderskelfe, County York (now Castle Howard) in 1315 during the time of King Edward II. If falconry can be said to be “in your blood” it is true for Gerald Lascelles. His paternal great-grandmother was the sister of renowned falconer and eccentric, Sir John Saunders Sebright.
Lascelles grew up on the expansive Harewood Estate where wildlife and sport were readily at hand. His rambles across the hundreds of acres of parkland, and delight in the natural world he found there, instilled in him a lifelong love of the countryside and its denizens. He was blooded at the age of six and took up shooting as soon as his father deemed him reliable enough to carry a gun. He was educated at Eton, where he was in Mr. F.E. “Judy” Durnford's house, and afterwards matriculated from Magdalene College, Cambridge. With the Harewood Estate entailed to his oldest brother Lascelles knew he would have to make his own way in the world. A brief stint with Lloyd’s in London and afterwards a position in a manufacturing company in Leeds were not agreeable to his country heart. A letter written to his falconry friend Lord Lilford in 1879 speaks of his unhappiness with his factory position and asks if Lilford knows of anyone “who may have a vacancy for an estate agent, head or sub.” Through connections and competency he was able to land the prestigious job of Deputy Surveyor Of The New Forest in 1880. He held this position for 35 years and wrote of it in his delightful book, “Thirty-five Years In The New Forest”.
Gerald William Lascelles began his falconry career as a young boy with a sparrow-hawk under the tutelage of Sir Charles Slingsby of Scriven. At age 17 (1866) he was invited to spend his Easter holiday on the Salisbury Plain with Cecil Duncombe, a member of the Old Hawking Club. The club was managed by Clough Newcome, a former member of the renowned Loo Hawking Club in Holland, with Robert Barr as the professional falconer. The beauty and finesse of rook hawking thrilled him and his heart was set on training longwings from then on. While at Cambridge he kept a merlin in his rooms and would often traipse over to the Newcome's whenever hawks were to be flown. During the Franco-Prussian War Lascelles was able to partcipate in the sport often as the entire mews of falcons owned by the Champagne Hawking Club of France was sent to Britain for safekeeping. These were quartered at the home of the Mahrajah Dhuleep Singh within easy reach of his college.
In 1871, with the death of Clough Newcome, the Old Hawking Club broke up and Lascelles was gifted with a falcon that had been allotted to Duncombe. He rook hawked with this for several seasons on the Salisbury Plain, along with others who were smitten by the sport. Several of the former OHC members chafed at the loss of the club that had been an important part of their lives, and in 1872 the club was reconstituted with Gerald Lascelles as Manager and Honorary Secretary. He held this position for 44 years, until 1915, when declining health forced him to resign his responsibilities.
The sport provided by the club Lascelles managed is looked upon by many as the golden era of hawking on the Salisbury Plain. Each year, with one of the inns in the area selected as their headquarters, the members would gather with hawks, horses, and dogs for a month or more of classic sport. Visitors from Britain and elsewhere were often welcomed by the OHC to view the flights. Lascelles obligations as Deputy Surveyor did not allow him to spend the entire time there, but it was a rare week when he wasn't to be found in the hawking fields at one time or another. In the fall, Lascelles arranged for certain of the falcons to be sent north with OHC members for autumn grouse hawking. His work as Deputy Surveyor made northerly visits almost impossible, so his hawking was principally confined to that on the Plain. Shooting, at which he excelled, was his principal sport in the autumn of each year, especially while living in Lyndhurst.
Today we principally know Gerald Lascelles through the books and articles he authored. In 1892 the Badminton Library book "Coursing and Falconry" was published, with Major Harding Cox the author of the first part and Lascelles the author of the second. This complete edition was reprinted in 1899 and 1901. In 1971 the falconry section of "Coursing and Falconry" was reprinted on its own, and to this the publisher gave the title "The Art Of Falconry". This has also been reprinted several times and is still available today, much admired and much referred to by falconers a hundred years on.
In 1875 Constance Agatha Mary Fitzclarence, only child of the late Mr. John Burton-Phillipson, of Sunninghill, Berkshire, captured Gerald’s heart and they were married in a quiet ceremony on February 9th. They had four children: Gerald Hubert (1876-1928), John Beilby (1884-1907), Richard (born & died 1887) and Cynthia Rachel (1885-1961). In 1920 Cynthia married the 4th Baron Poltimore and it is through her descendents that the line Gerald Lascelles carries on.
In his book, Thirty-five Years In The New Forest, Lascelles wrote of his fears that the sport of falconry would die when he and his generation of countrymen passed from this earth. He also wrote of his hopes that he was wrong in this, that "better and younger men will carry on what has been well described as 'the noblest sport in which man has ever indulged'...after I have ceased to take a part in it."
Gerald William Lascelles, the third son of the 4th Earl of Harewood, was born in Goldsbrough, Yorkshire, on October 26, 1849. One of the great families of the north of England, the Lascelles trace their ancestry back to John De Lascelles of Hinderskelfe, County York (now Castle Howard) in 1315 during the time of King Edward II. If falconry can be said to be “in your blood” it is true for Gerald Lascelles. His paternal great-grandmother was the sister of renowned falconer and eccentric, Sir John Saunders Sebright.
Lascelles grew up on the expansive Harewood Estate where wildlife and sport were readily at hand. His rambles across the hundreds of acres of parkland, and delight in the natural world he found there, instilled in him a lifelong love of the countryside and its denizens. He was blooded at the age of six and took up shooting as soon as his father deemed him reliable enough to carry a gun. He was educated at Eton, where he was in Mr. F.E. “Judy” Durnford's house, and afterwards matriculated from Magdalene College, Cambridge. With the Harewood Estate entailed to his oldest brother Lascelles knew he would have to make his own way in the world. A brief stint with Lloyd’s in London and afterwards a position in a manufacturing company in Leeds were not agreeable to his country heart. A letter written to his falconry friend Lord Lilford in 1879 speaks of his unhappiness with his factory position and asks if Lilford knows of anyone “who may have a vacancy for an estate agent, head or sub.” Through connections and competency he was able to land the prestigious job of Deputy Surveyor Of The New Forest in 1880. He held this position for 35 years and wrote of it in his delightful book, “Thirty-five Years In The New Forest”.
Gerald William Lascelles began his falconry career as a young boy with a sparrow-hawk under the tutelage of Sir Charles Slingsby of Scriven. At age 17 (1866) he was invited to spend his Easter holiday on the Salisbury Plain with Cecil Duncombe, a member of the Old Hawking Club. The club was managed by Clough Newcome, a former member of the renowned Loo Hawking Club in Holland, with Robert Barr as the professional falconer. The beauty and finesse of rook hawking thrilled him and his heart was set on training longwings from then on. While at Cambridge he kept a merlin in his rooms and would often traipse over to the Newcome's whenever hawks were to be flown. During the Franco-Prussian War Lascelles was able to partcipate in the sport often as the entire mews of falcons owned by the Champagne Hawking Club of France was sent to Britain for safekeeping. These were quartered at the home of the Mahrajah Dhuleep Singh within easy reach of his college.
In 1871, with the death of Clough Newcome, the Old Hawking Club broke up and Lascelles was gifted with a falcon that had been allotted to Duncombe. He rook hawked with this for several seasons on the Salisbury Plain, along with others who were smitten by the sport. Several of the former OHC members chafed at the loss of the club that had been an important part of their lives, and in 1872 the club was reconstituted with Gerald Lascelles as Manager and Honorary Secretary. He held this position for 44 years, until 1915, when declining health forced him to resign his responsibilities.
The sport provided by the club Lascelles managed is looked upon by many as the golden era of hawking on the Salisbury Plain. Each year, with one of the inns in the area selected as their headquarters, the members would gather with hawks, horses, and dogs for a month or more of classic sport. Visitors from Britain and elsewhere were often welcomed by the OHC to view the flights. Lascelles obligations as Deputy Surveyor did not allow him to spend the entire time there, but it was a rare week when he wasn't to be found in the hawking fields at one time or another. In the fall, Lascelles arranged for certain of the falcons to be sent north with OHC members for autumn grouse hawking. His work as Deputy Surveyor made northerly visits almost impossible, so his hawking was principally confined to that on the Plain. Shooting, at which he excelled, was his principal sport in the autumn of each year, especially while living in Lyndhurst.
Today we principally know Gerald Lascelles through the books and articles he authored. In 1892 the Badminton Library book "Coursing and Falconry" was published, with Major Harding Cox the author of the first part and Lascelles the author of the second. This complete edition was reprinted in 1899 and 1901. In 1971 the falconry section of "Coursing and Falconry" was reprinted on its own, and to this the publisher gave the title "The Art Of Falconry". This has also been reprinted several times and is still available today, much admired and much referred to by falconers a hundred years on.
In 1875 Constance Agatha Mary Fitzclarence, only child of the late Mr. John Burton-Phillipson, of Sunninghill, Berkshire, captured Gerald’s heart and they were married in a quiet ceremony on February 9th. They had four children: Gerald Hubert (1876-1928), John Beilby (1884-1907), Richard (born & died 1887) and Cynthia Rachel (1885-1961). In 1920 Cynthia married the 4th Baron Poltimore and it is through her descendents that the line Gerald Lascelles carries on.
In his book, Thirty-five Years In The New Forest, Lascelles wrote of his fears that the sport of falconry would die when he and his generation of countrymen passed from this earth. He also wrote of his hopes that he was wrong in this, that "better and younger men will carry on what has been well described as 'the noblest sport in which man has ever indulged'...after I have ceased to take a part in it."
Gravesite Details
The gravesite was found to be in terrible condition with the column toppled over and the palings covered with grass. Funds were raised by the falconers of several nations to restore the grave and add a bronze plaque to the plinth stone.
