Snowden Slights carrying one of his large fowling guns

Snowden Slights: born 1830 in Selby, Yorkshire. Holds the reputation as the greatest Yorkshire wildfowler, having shot an unprecedented amount of fowl from the banks of the Derwent. [1]

Life edit

Snowden was the second son of John Slights, and showed promise for the sport of wildfowling at a young age - leaving school at nine years of age to pursue sport with his father.[2] From the age of 15 Snowden began his vocation as a basket-maker, running his own small shop near his residence in East Cottingwith. Whilst the summer months were given to the business of basket-making, the winter months were given over to his passion of wildfowling which provided his main, albeit meagre, source of income. Snowden continued to pursue his passion of wildfowling till his death from an unspecified illness at the age of 83. [3].

Legacy edit

Snowden left behind a legacy as a prolific wildfowler in the forms of a the 1912 biography "Snowden Slights, Wildfowler" written by Syndey H. Smith[4]. Additionally a selection of pieces from his extensive armoury have been made available for display at the Yorkshire Museum [5].


References edit

  1. ^ Smith, S. H. 1912. Snowden Slights, Wildfowler. York: T.A.J. Waddington.
  2. ^ Smith, S. H. 1912. Snowden Slights, Wildfowler. York: T.A.J. Waddington.
  3. ^ Ratcliffe, Roger. 2006. Blast from the past: Snowden Slights. Available online at http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/local-stories/blast-from-the-past-1-2393138. Last Accessed 16/03/2014
  4. ^ Smith, S. H. 1912. Snowden Slights, Wildfowler. York: T.A.J. Waddington.
  5. ^ Ratcliffe, Roger. 2006. Blast from the past: Snowden Slights. Available online at http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/local-stories/blast-from-the-past-1-2393138. Last Accessed 16/03/2014