He has twice visited the United States, and has been in Canada, Japan, and China, but has not done much big game shooting. Interested in yachting, he is Commodore of the Lough Dearg Corinthian Club. He fishes when he has nothing else to do, principally in the Shannon and Lough Dearg; but with his numerous occupations we gather that the occasions when he has leisure to use the salmon rod are somewhat rare. He is a keen motorist, and drives a great deal; the machine he now uses is a 24–40 h.p. Fiat.
For some years he kept a stud in Ireland and bred horses of various breeds; he has now given this up, but still breeds a few half-breds at Sharavogue.
Lord Huntingdon, who is a Deputy-Lieutenant of the King’s County, retired last year as Lieut.-Colonel of the 3rd Batt. Prince of Wales’ Leinster Regiment. He was unable to go to South Africa, owing to an accident. He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1885. In 1892 he married Maud Margaret, second daughter of Sir Samuel Wilson, late M.P. for Portsmouth, by whom he has a son, Francis, born 1901, and three daughters, who are very keen sportswomen, and never so happy as when riding to hounds. Lord Huntingdon is also very fond of driving four horses, and until motoring started made many driving tours with his yellow coach and team of greys. Lady Huntingdon is also very fond of hunting, and is out regularly with the North Staffordshire. One of Lord Huntingdon’s brothers is the well-known gentleman rider, the Hon. A. Hastings.
The family of Hastings is a very old one. John of Hastings was Seneschal of Aquitaine, and a claimant to the throne of Scotland. Sir William, who became first Baron Hastings, was Master of the Mint under King Edward IV., and first coined the piece known as a “noble.” The first Baron became very powerful, and was eventually beheaded by Richard Duke of Gloucester. The third Baron attended Henry VIII. in his French wars, and was present at the capture of Tournay in 1513; it was this ancestor who became the first Earl.
In our school-boy days there were very few of us who could resist the opportunity of having a good stuffing, especially at Christmas, when the mince pies and plum puddings were an extra attraction, and when even the most austere of mothers did not gainsay our desires, although knowing full well that our penalty would follow in the shape of a black dose, or something worse.