On the appointed day a huge concourse including “farmers, butchers, hucksters, badgers, cadgers, horse-jobbers, drovers, loafers and scamps and raggels of all kinds” assembled in the castleyard.

There were “not a few young sparks and bespurred and beruffled bucks come thither from as far as Hull” who had brought with them certain overdressed women.

The first dog matched against the bear was owned by one Castle Jack “a worthless waistrel.”  The bear received the rush of the dog standing on his hind legs and gripped him in his forepaws, biting and crushing him to death.  After this no one seemed inclined to let their dogs go to such certain death and the assemblage gradually became disorderly and many quarrels and fights took place before the crowd finally dispersed.

Calvert says, “and so when I did withdraw myself, the whole crowd seemed to be owther cursing, fighting, or loudly proffering for to fight any one.  As I took my steps back to my uncle I could not help but consider that those of the Methodist holding, who did as we went towards the green [at the west end of the market-place] beg and pray of us to be mindfull of our sinfull pleasures and of the wroth to come and who did pray us to then turn from our sinfull course, and though we who did pass them did so with scoffs and ... gibes in some cases, yet I could not help but in my heart consider that they were fully in the right on’t.”

There is a remarkable story recorded of the fatal result of hunting a black-brushed fox found at Sinnington.  It was on Thursday, January 13th, 1803, that “a black-brush’d fox was setten up at the high side of Sinnington.  Some there were who left the hounds the instant they seed the colour of its brush for they minded that one who lived in those parts over a hundred years agone and who was held to be wise in dark things had owned a black-brushed reynard as a companion and which being on the moor on a time when hounds came that way they gave chace and presently killed, w^ch did so vex the wise dame that she was heard to cast a curse upon all those who should ever after give chace to one of its offspring and it hath being noted that by times when there be a black brush and it do be hunted that it is never catched and there be always some ill fall upon him who does first clap eyes on’t and set the hounds on its scent.  On this very day did some then present give chace and followed for ower three good hours while baith men, horses and hounds were all dead beat and just when they did aim for to claim its brush one Holliday fell from his horse and brake his neck, and he it was who had first set een on’t.  They were then close upon Chop Yatt ower forty mile by the course they had run.  It was then brought to mind that one Blades a score years afore had been suddenly called to account on the same venture.

“One verse of an old hunting ditty which tells a tale of four bold riders who came by their death ower a cragg afollowing one of this same breed many years agone now, it tells in this wise:—­