Royal Calpe Hunt

Last updated
Royal Calpe Hunt
Calpe Hunt (George Cole).jpg
Meet of the Calpe Hunt in the Cork Woods,
George Cole
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (left) and the Calpe Hunt
First event1812 (1812)
Last event1939 (1939)
Purpose Fox hunt; initially civilian, then military
Headquarters Gibraltar
Master of the Hunt Charles Elphinstone Fleeming (first)

The Royal Calpe Hunt of the British Crown Colony of Gibraltar originated in 1812 as the Civil Hunt. The fox hunt was initially a civilian endeavour that began when a pair of English foxhounds were imported to Gibraltar. The hunts took place across the border, in the Campo de Gibraltar area of Spain. However, in 1814, the membership of the Hunt underwent a substantial change. Many officers of the Gibraltar garrison joined the Hunt, which shifted from a civilian to a military enterprise. That year, the name was changed to the Civil Calpe Hunt. It retained that title until 1817, after which it was known as the Calpe Hunt. The first Master of the Hunt was Charles Elphinstone Fleeming. However, the Master most associated with the Hunt was Pablo Larios, Marquis of Marzales, who held that title for forty-five years. His election to that position in 1891 was not only historic, but strategic. His appointment represented only the second time that the position had not been filled by a member of the military. In addition, his Spanish heritage and influence in the Campo de Gibraltar, where he owned extensive estates, garnered him the loyalty of the local Spanish farmers, and therefore eased the ever-present tensions between the military and the farmers over the crop damage that was inherent to the Hunt. In 1906, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and King Alfonso XIII of Spain became joint Patrons of the Hunt, after which it was known as the Royal Calpe Hunt. The tradition of the Hunt continued for more than a century, until 1939, and the onset of the Second World War

Contents

History

Calpe Hunt, 1870 1870 Calpe Steeplechase.png
Calpe Hunt, 1870

Gibraltar, by then a British colony at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, generally had few opportunities for outdoor recreational activities at the turn of the nineteenth century. [1] [2] [3] In 1812, the Reverend Mackareth, the garrison chaplain and former chaplain to the Duke of Kent, imported with a colleague a pair of English foxhounds. [3] [4] [5] The hounds were Rookwood and Ranter and, after their arrival, other civilians obtained hunting dogs. The huntsmen who started the pack formed a club, the Civil Hunt, whose members wore blue uniforms with silver buttons. The hunting took place in Spain, in the Campo de Gibraltar area of Andalusia, with the furthest hunts about fourteen miles from Gibraltar. The hunts started in November, after the first rains, and ended in March when the ground became too dry. The hunts took place twice a week and many women participated. [3] [6]

By 1814, a substantial pack had been formed and was kenneled in San Roque, Cádiz, Spain. At the end of 1814, the hunt was limited by the quarantine that was placed on Gibraltar due to the reappearance of a yellow fever epidemic. The hunts continued, as the hounds were kenneled at San Roque. However, they were primarily attended by officers under the command of Admiral Fleming, their British Fleet moored off Algeciras. After the lifting of the quarantine, the character of the hunt changed. The fox hunt was at first all civilian; however, in 1814, many of the officers of the Gibraltar garrison became members, as well as officers of the San Roque and Algeciras Spanish garrisons. The majority of the civilian members left the club and many of the military joined. Management of the club was gradually transferred from civilians to the Gibraltar garrison officers. [3] The name of the club was changed to the Civil Calpe Hunt in 1814, and the club retained that title until 1817, after which it was known as the Calpe Hunt. [6] [7]

Meet of Calpe Hunt, 1879 Meet of Calpe Hunt, Gibraltar 6 Oct 1879 - 15 Nov 1879.png
Meet of Calpe Hunt, 1879

The uniform of the club changed from blue to scarlet. The hounds were transferred from San Roque, and a kennel was built at the North Front with the support of the Governor of Gibraltar, Sir George Don. Many of the hounds were obtained from packs in England, as pups born in Gibraltar were found to be difficult to rear. The huntsmen rode Spanish horses. Later, new kennels were constructed at the North Front in 1884, with the foundation stone laid by the wife of then Governor, Sir John Miller Adye. [3] The activities associated with the hunt, including picnics and balls, evolved to become important society events. [6] Accessibility of land in Spain was always an issue, beyond permission to cross the border. Permission needed to be obtained from the various Spanish farmers on whose lands they conducted the Hunt. One of the strategies employed since the early history of the Hunt involved sending invitations to military officials in San Roque and Algeciras to attend the Hunt. The Hunt also paid the expenses related to crop damage, but payments remained a point of contention. [7]

Masters of the Hunt

Charles Elphinstone Fleeming in 1789. He was the first Master of the Hunt. George Engelheart painting of George Elphinstone Fleeming.jpg
Charles Elphinstone Fleeming in 1789. He was the first Master of the Hunt.

The first Master of the Hunt was the Scotsman Charles Elphinstone Fleeming. [6] Other Masters of the Hunt included Colonel Poulett Somerset, C.B. 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers), [8] [9] Colonel J. Kelly Holdsworth, [10] and Colonel Morgan Crofton. [11]

In the mid nineteenth century, meetings of the Royal Calpe Hunt were held at what is now known as Gibraltar City Hall in John Mackintosh Square. At that time, it was the Club House Hotel and had been leased to John Ansaldo. It was used by a variety of sporting clubs. [12] [13] In 1875, the building was sold to Pablo Antonio Larios (1819 – 1879), a wealthy businessman and banker, Gibraltarian-born but member of a Spanish family, who restored it. [7] [14] [15]

After his death, his son Pablo Larios (1862 – 1938) inherited it. The younger Larios, Marqués de Marzales by marriage, became a member of the Calpe Hunt in 1884. His election as Master of the Hunt in 1891 was historic, as all previous Masters of the Calpe Hunt had been military, the only exception that of Judge Stewart Padget who served between 1848 and 1850. It was also strategic, as it eased the difficulties of land access and also reduced the perception of the Hunt as a military undertaking. It was also to the financial benefit of the Hunt, as Larios was only partially reimbursed for the expenses he incurred in purchasing the best dogs and maintaining the kennels. [7] [16] [17] He was the Master of the Royal Calpe Hunt for 45 years, from 1891 to 1932 and from 1934 to 1938. [6] [7] [18] One of the main landowners in the Campo de Gibraltar area, he built a sumptuous mansion in Gualdacorte, hosting also the kennels of the Royal Calpe Hunt. [19] Larios lived in Connaught House until 1922, after which he settled in Algeciras. [7]

General Sir Alexander Godley George Edmund Butler - Lieutenant General Sir A J Godley.jpeg
General Sir Alexander Godley

After General Sir Alexander Godley assumed the governorship in 1928, he was determined that Larios would no longer lead the Hunt. For Godley, a civilian, particularly a Spaniard, could not be the Master of the Royal Calpe Hunt. [7] He also advocated for a younger Master. [20] Larios was eventually forced to resign on 20 July 1932: [7]

As far as the technical side of hunting hounds is concerned I am frankly of the opinion that the natural advantages which I possess over any young British officer, by reason of my knowledge of fox-hunting, my experience of this country, and nationality, outweigh whatever disadvantages may be alleged to have accrued from my advancing years. Whereas the Committee are led to suppose that a British community could, if necessary, hunt a pack of hounds in this country, on its own, I am convinced that they have been sadly misinformed on that point, and that any attempt to undertake it would invariably sound the death-knell on hunting in Andalusia forever.

Calpe Hunt, 1838 Calpe Hunt 1838.png
Calpe Hunt, 1838

The Committee of the Royal Calpe Hunt established a subcommittee on 23 August 1932 that was charged with ensuring that the land utilised for the Hunt remained accessible. The wealthy landowner and "gatekeeper" Larios was able to put most of the land for the hunt out of bounds. While the Hunt still had permission to cross the border into Spain, the loyalty of the Spanish farmers to Larios was such that most of them did not allow access to their land. An attempt was made to resume the Hunt the following season, but the paucity of available land made it very difficult. This caused tension in Gibraltar society between civilians and the military. Word reached the aristocrats in Britain, particularly after The Field , a magazine devoted to hunting, published an article detailing the reasons for the resignation of Larios. [7] Supporters of the Governor became the "Godlies" while their opponents were known as "Ungodlies". [20]

The next governor, Sir Charles Harington began his term in 1933 with instructions from King George V to resolve the discord surrounding the Hunt. Order was not restored until 1934, after Harington addressed the dilemma by naming his wife Lady Harington and Larios as joint Masters of the Royal Calpe Hunt. The farmers' fields were again made available to the Hunt. Larios continued as a joint Master until his death in Algeciras in 1938. He was interred in the family vault at North Front Cemetery. After the death of Pablo Larios, the Committee of the Royal Calpe Hunt appointed his son Pepito Larios, who at the time was a fighter pilot for the Nationalist side in the Spanish Civil War, and Governor of Gibraltar General Sir Edmund Ironside as joint Masters of the Hunt. [7] [15] [21]

Royal Patrons of the Hunt

King Alfonso XIII Roi Alfonso XIII.jpg
King Alfonso XIII
King Edward VII Edward VII in coronation robes.jpg
King Edward VII

Edward VII joined the Calpe Hunt in 1859 when he was still the Prince of Wales. Pablo's father was presented to the prince that year. In 1875, he made his house in Commercial Square available to the Duke of Connaught, the brother of the prince. The duke resided there for a year, and the residence became known as Connaught House. A close friendship developed between the Larios family and Edward VII. In 1906, Alfonso XIII of Spain married Princess Ena of England, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and the niece of Edward VII. Given the alliances that were forged between England and Spain, the Governor of Gibraltar sent a request to Edward VII asking him to consider a joint sponsorship of the Hunt with Alfonso XIII. Pablo Larios broke protocol: given the friendship that he had with both kings, he obtained the sponsorship of Alfonso XIII without the Calpe going through the process of formal application. The two kings became joint patrons of the Calpe Hunt in 1906, at which time it changed its name to the Royal Calpe Hunt. Larios indicated: [7] [22]

In 1906, I was instrumental in obtaining the honor of the Royal Patronage of Their Majesties King Edward the Seventh and King Alfonso the Thirteenth, which was a source of great satisfaction to me.

King George V also served as a joint Patron of the Royal Calpe Hunt. [6] [13]

Legacy

In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the Governor of Gibraltar was successful in obtaining permission from Franco to continue the Hunt. [23] The tradition of the Royal Calpe Hunt continued for more than a century. The last Hunt took place on 4 April 1939. It could not be resumed the following autumn due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Although the horses and the pack were maintained in the hope that the Hunt would resume, and the Hunt Committee remained active until 1973, the Second World War brought the end of the Royal Calpe Hunt. [4] [5] [7]

On 30 May 2012, at the Garrison Library, Steven Linares, the Minister of Culture for Gibraltar, opened an exhibition featuring the Hunt. The library event was held in conjunction with other Diamond Jubilee and Spring Festival events as part of the 2012 schedule. [24] There had been concerns that the exhibit would provoke the demonstrations of animal rights activists who had staged protests at the Instituto Cervantes the previous month due to lectures that had been held on the topic of bullfighting. However, the demonstrations were not repeated. [25]

Related Research Articles

The history of Gibraltar portrays how The Rock gained an importance and a reputation far exceeding its size, influencing and shaping the people who came to reside here over the centuries.

Gibraltar has a limited public transport system, due to the compact size of the territory.

Algeciras is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay of Gibraltar</span> Bay at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, shared by Spain and Gibraltar

The Bay of Gibraltar, is a bay at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. It is around 10 km (6.2 mi) long by 8 km (5.0 mi) wide, covering an area of some 75 km2 (29 sq mi), with a depth of up to 400 m (1,300 ft) in the centre of the bay. It opens to the south into the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Roque, Spain</span> Municipality in Andalusia, Spain

San Roque is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, which in turn is part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is also part of the comarca of Campo de Gibraltar. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, San Roque is a short way inland of the north side of the Bay of Gibraltar, to the north of the Gibraltar peninsula. The municipality has a total surface of 145 km2 with a population of approximately 25,500 people, as of 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Gibraltar</span> National coat of arms of Gibraltar

The coat of arms of Gibraltar was first granted by a Royal Warrant passed in Toledo on 10 July 1502 by Isabella I of Castile during Gibraltar's Spanish period. The arms consists of an escutcheon and features a three-towered red castle under which hangs a golden key.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimena de la Frontera</span> Municipality and Town in Andalusia, Spain

Jimena de la Frontera is a historic town and municipality located in the province of Cádiz, Spain. According to estimates made by the National Statistics Institute of Spain (INE), the municipality has a population of 6,707 inhabitants as of 2020. The municipality contains three major towns, Jimena de la Frontera, Los Ángeles and San Pablo de Buceite. Other towns include Montenegral Alto and Marchenilla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gibraltar</span> British Overseas Territory on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It has an area of 6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi) and is bordered to the north by Spain. The landscape is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, at the foot of which is a densely populated town area, home to some 32,688 people, primarily Gibraltarians.

HMS Calpe was the former 14-gun polacca San José of the Spanish Navy, originally built in 1796 in Greece. The British captured her in 1800 and commissioned her as a sloop-of-war. She served at the Battle of Algeciras Bay before the Navy sold her in 1802. She underwent repairs and reappeared as a merchantman in the 1805 registers; however, she wrecked at the Dardanelles in 1805.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Europe</span> The Virgin Mary, as patron of Gibraltar

Our Lady of Europe is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary patroness of Gibraltar and protectress of Europe. The entire European continent was consecrated under the protection of Our Lady of Europe in the early 14th century from the Shrine in Gibraltar where devotion continues to this day, over 700 years on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gibraltar City Hall</span> Former city hall for Gibraltar

The Gibraltar City Hall is the former city hall for Gibraltar, centrally located within the city at the west end of John Mackintosh Square. It is the office of the Mayor of Gibraltar and since 2023 has been the location of the Registry of Marriages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mackintosh Square</span> Square in Gibraltar

John Mackintosh Square is a main square in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It has been the centre of city life since the 14th century and takes its name from John Mackintosh, a local philanthropist. Notable buildings on John Mackintosh Square include the Parliament Building and the City Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Gibraltar</span> History of a peninsula on the Iberian coast

The history of Gibraltar, a small peninsula on the southern Iberian coast near the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea, spans over 2,900 years. The peninsula has evolved from a place of reverence in ancient times into "one of the most densely fortified and fought-over places in Europe", as one historian has put it. Gibraltar's location has given it an outsized significance in the history of Europe and its fortified town, established in the Middle Ages, has hosted garrisons that sustained numerous sieges and battles over the centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Chapel, Gibraltar</span> Church in Main Street, Gibraltar

King's Chapel is a small chapel in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located at the southern end of Main Street and adjoins the Governor of Gibraltar's residence, The Convent. What nowadays is King's Chapel was the first purpose-built church to be constructed in Gibraltar. Originally part of a Franciscan friary, the chapel was built in the 1530s but was given to the Church of England by the British after the capture of Gibraltar in 1704. It was badly damaged in the late 18th century during the Great Siege of Gibraltar and in the explosion of an ammunition ship in Gibraltar harbour in 1951, but was restored on both occasions. From 1844 to 1990 it served as the principal church of the British Army in Gibraltar; since then it has been used by all three services of the British Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moorish Gibraltar</span> Overview of Gibraltar under the Moors

The history of Moorish Gibraltar began with the landing of the Muslims in Hispania and the fall of the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo in 711 and ended with the fall of Gibraltar to Christian hands 751 years later, in 1462, with an interregnum during the early 14th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fifth siege of Gibraltar</span> 1349–50 attempt by Alfonso XI of Castile to retake Gibraltar

The fifth siege of Gibraltar, mounted between August 1349 and March 1350, was a second attempt by King Alfonso XI of Castile to retake the fortified town of Gibraltar. It had been held by the Moors since 1333. The siege followed years of intermittent conflict between the Christian kingdoms of Spain and the Moorish Emirate of Granada, which was supported by the Marinid sultanate of Morocco. A series of Moorish defeats and reverses had left Gibraltar as a Moorish-held enclave within Castilian territory. Its geographical isolation was compensated for by the strength of its fortifications, which had been greatly improved since 1333. Alfonso brought an army of around 20,000 men, along with his mistress and their five illegitimate children, to dig in to the north of Gibraltar for a lengthy siege. In the New Year of 1350, however, bubonic plague – the Black Death – broke out in the Castilian camp. Alfonso refused to abandon the siege but fell victim to the plague on 27 March 1350, becoming the only monarch to die of the disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Fair of Algeciras</span>

The Royal Fair of Algeciras is the most important annual festival in the Spanish city of Algeciras, held in June each year. Since it was established in 1850 as a cattle market, the fair and the fairground in which it is held have become popular attractions for the people of Algeciras and the surrounding towns of the Campo de Gibraltar. It has moved several times since its establishment and is now held in the Las Colinas area, where Algeciras's Las Palomas bullring is also located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Algeciras (1342–1344)</span> Castilian siege of the Marinid Empire capital

The siege of Algeciras (1342–1344) was undertaken during the Reconquest of Spain by the Castillian forces of Alfonso XI assisted by the fleets of the Kingdom of Aragon and the Republic of Genoa. The objective was to capture the Muslim city of Al-Jazeera Al-Khadra, called Algeciras by Christians. The city was the capital and the main port of the European territory of the Marinid Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Algeciras (1369)</span> 1369 battle in Spain

The siege of Algeciras (1369) was undertaken during the period of the Reconquest of Spain by Muhammad V, the Emir of Granada to reclaim the city of Al-Hadra Al-Yazirat, called Algeciras by the Christians, in the Kingdom of Castile. The siege lasted just three days, and the sultan was victorious. The Muslims thus regained a major city which had been in Castilian hands since Alfonso XI of Castile took it from the Moroccans after the long 1342–1344 siege. Ten years after the capture of the city, in 1379 the sultan of Granada decided to completely destroy the city to prevent it falling into Christian hands. It was impossible to defend the place at a time when the Muslim kings of the Iberian Peninsula had lost much of military power they enjoyed in earlier centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Martín del Tesorillo</span> Municipality in Andalusia, Spain

San Martín del Tesorillo is a municipality located in the province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It was constituted as an independent municipality from Jimena de la Frontera on 2 October 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "List of Crown Dependencies & Overseas Territories". fco.gov.uk. Foreign and Commonwealth Office . Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Roach, John (13 September 2006). "Neandertals' Last Stand Was in Gibraltar, Study Suggests". National Geographic News. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on November 14, 2006. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  3. 1 2 "The History of Gibraltar -The next 100 years". gibraltarinformation.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Hounds are Home. The History of the Royal Calpe Hunt". abebooks.com. AbeBooks.com. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The People of Gibraltar - 1800s - The Royal Calpe Hunt - Que locos los Ingleses!'". Neville Chipulina. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Ballantine Perera, Jennifer (2010). "Pablo Larios and the Royal Calpe Hunt as Markers of Transborder Activities Between Gibraltar and Spain During the 19th and 20th Centuries". translate.google.com. University of Lancaster. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  7. ↑ I. E. A. Dolby, ed. (1863). The Journal of the Household brigade for the year 1862-80. W. Clowes and Sons. pp. 93–95. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  8. ↑ James Dodsley (1876). Annual register. J. Dodsley. p.  148 . Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  9. ↑ Gilbard, Lieutenant Colonel George James (1888). A popular history of Gibraltar, its institutions, and its neighbourhood on both sides of the straits, and a guide book to their principal places and objects of interest. Garrison Library. p. 171. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  10. ↑ Baily's Magazine of Sports & Pastimes, Volume 53. 1890. pp. 59–60. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Visit to City Hall by Ansaldo Descendants". Gibraltar Chronicle . 27 July 2011. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  12. 1 2 "City Hall". aboutourrock.com. About Our Rock. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "History". connaughtlodgegibraltar.com. Connaught Lodge. Archived from the original on 21 August 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  14. 1 2 "Gibraltar City Hall". jewishgibraltar.com. Gibraltar Jewish Community. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  15. ↑ "125th Anniversary - The First 100 Years". calperowingclub.com. Calpe Rowing Club. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  16. ↑ Archer, E. G. (10 February 2006). Gibraltar, Identity and Empire (illustrated ed.). Psychology Press. p. 162. ISBN   9780415347969 . Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  17. ↑ "The People of Gibraltar - 1809 - The Larios Family - Master of the Hunt". Neville Chipulina. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  18. ↑ Regueira Ramos, José (1997). "Los Larios en el Campo de Gibraltar" (PDF). Almoraima: Revista de estudios campogibraltareños (in Spanish) (17): 278. ISSN   1133-5319.
  19. 1 2 (Jackson, 269)
  20. ↑ Archer, E. G. (10 February 2006). Gibraltar, Identity and Empire (illustrated ed.). Psychology Press. p. 214. ISBN   9780415347969 . Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  21. ↑ Baily's Magazine of Sports & Pastimes, Volume 86. 1906. p. 76. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  22. ↑ Graham, Robert (Spring 2010). "Book Review - Gibraltar: A Dagger in the Spine of Spain?". Anglo-Spanish Society Quarterly Review: 16. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  23. ↑ "Press Release - The Gibraltar Garrison Library and The Royal Calpe Hunt" (PDF). gibraltar.gov.gi. Government of Gibraltar. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  24. ↑ Oliva, F. (14 June 2012). "Margallo, In Her Majesty's Service". Gibraltar Chronicle. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.