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I was scratching around, trying desperately to think of a theme for my newest post when a recently acquired ‘Sporting’ button gave me an idea……Within my own collection, how many buttons include some form of cry or call heard in the field?
To start off, here is the Sporting button in question. Not a hunt button by any means, but worth a show. It’s 19th century, illustrating a kill with one and a half couple hounds and a fox, and bearing the cry “Who-oop”.
I found another button with the same legend. I can’t decide if it’s Sporting, or a stock-pattern** Hunt button.
Of course, the cry we will find most commonly on both registered Hunt buttons and stock-pattern generics** is one version or another of Tally Ho.
First off, here’s the familiar Earl of Berkeley’s Hunt ‘Master’s‘ button. This is a particularly nice early example, where the quality of detail is top-notch.
Another old example is this from Lord Kintore’s mastership of the huge country that was divided and became the VWH and the Old Berks, based out of Wadley House. Again, some fabulously detailed engraving.
This early Irish button from the late 18th century is Old Silver Plate, with details pricked out in gilt. See my previous post about ‘Gems from the Emerald Isle’ for more examples of this style.
Moving on to the cry ‘as she is spoke‘ – not written. A couple of very familiar buttons.
The next two are stock-pattern generics (see below). One very nice example and one rather more mundane.
Now some variant spellings. Firstly Tally ‘O on what may be a Lambton Hunt button, but this has not been confirmed to my knowledge.
This unusual 18th century example carries a spelling I have not seen elsewhere, ‘Tallihoe’
Moving on. The well known Bramham Moor.
Moving from Charlie to Puss…..
This one speaks for itself.
Whereas this early one is, as yet, unidentified. Question: Is Tan Tarra more associated with hare hunting than fox?
Another unidentified hare-hunting button from the early 1800’s and of superior quality in all aspects.
And back to fox for this private Master’s button for Lord Kintore’s pack.
And to end this post, a mid-19th century button for the Fife Hunt; a pack that has had some remarkable buttons in its long history.
I hope you have enjoyed looking through these. Of course, these are just a few. There must be many more out there. Please send in pictures of any you have that are not shown here.
**A stock-pattern button is one produced with a common theme that could be purchased by less-affluent packs that couldn’t afford their own pattern. They were generally of quarry animals without any lettering, or basic two-initial buttons such as CH, PH. GH. Produced to a standard often as high as a ‘proper’ hunt button, they formed a halfway house and were of superior quality to the tinny ‘Sporting’ buttons.
‘Firebrand’
