Ratcatcher is informal attire worn when fox hunting and consists primarily of a

tweed Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...

jacket with tan

breeches Breeches ( ) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Western men's c ...

. Other specific items of clothing, forming part of the "uniform", might be prescribed by individual hunting clubs. It is possible that the term was derived from the attire which the "ratcatcher" or "terrier man" wore. He was probably a

crofter A croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable, and usually, but not always, with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer, especially in rural are ...

and followed the hunt across his land. When a fox went to ground, the terrier man would send his

terrier Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary ...

into the covert to kill the fox. In Victorian England the

rat-catcher A rat-catcher is a person who kills or captures rats as a professional form of pest control. Keeping the rat population under control was practiced in Europe to prevent the spread of diseases, most notoriously the Black Death, and to prevent d ...

, whose occupation was catching rats as a form of pest control, also used terrier dogs as one way of catching the rats, and this is probably the reason that the "terrier man" on the hunt was often referred to as a "ratcatcher". The

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

holds a painting, ''The Rat-Catcher and his Dogs'' exhibited in 1824, which illustrates the form of dress worn by the village ratcatcher in the first half of the 19th century and demonstrates the similarity between that attire and ratcatcher attire worn in fox hunting. The usage of the word "ratcatcher" is demonstrated in a short story, ''The Man in Ratcatcher'' in which one of the characters asks "Who was the fellah in ratcatcher I passed ridin' that awful old quod of yours?" Again it can be seen in

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires '' Decl ...

's novel ''

A Handful of Dust ''A Handful of Dust'' is a novel by the British writer Evelyn Waugh. First published in 1934, it is often grouped with the author's early, satirical comic novels for which he became famous in the pre– World War II years. Commentators have, ...

'',

She (Nanny) deplored it all, hounds, Master, field, huntsman and whippers-in, Mr Tendril's niece in her mackintosh, Jock in a ''rat-catcher'', Mrs Rattery in tall hat and cutaway coat, oblivious of the suspicious glances of the subscribers ... it was all a lot of nonsense of Ben Hacket's.

He uses the word again in ''

Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...

'' when Cordelia answers Charles' question about where Sebastian is,

"He's in disgrace." The words in that clear, child's voice, had the ring of a bell tolling, but she went on: "Coming out in that beastly ''rat-catcher'' coat and mean little tie like something from Captain Morvin's Riding Academy."

References

{{hunting-stub Fox hunting History of fashion