John Peel was the leader of the calderbeck hunt in Cumbria.He was known for being a down to earth working class chap and having no time for the pomp and cermony normaly associated with fox hunts.This is high lighted in the song hence his coat is 'hodden gray' not the usual red huntsmans jacket.He was also reputed to be very ugly !The songs 'John Peel' and 'The Horn of the Hunter' are just two of a huge number of Fox Hunting songs from Cumbria were such hunts and Cock fighting were huge local pastimes.