2 ROYAL ROCK BEAGLE HUNT. 



be desirable to form a club, for the purpose of hunting hares over the 

 Hundred of Wirral. 



A number of young men were readily found to enter heartily into the 

 scheme, and some fifty or sixty names were registered as the first subscribers. 

 All these gentlemen were engaged in business in Liverpool, at least half being 

 resident in Rock Ferry, the others in Birkenhead and Liverpool. 



Rock Ferry being the residence of the majority of the first subscribe! s, 

 a convenient centre for the proposed country, and possessing a suitable 

 ])uilding for the kennels in the immediate vicinity, gave rise to the title of 

 the hunt — The Royal Rock Beagles. The origin of the prefix "Royal" is 

 somewhat obscure. Rock Ferry is said to derive its title to be called a 

 royal ferry, from the fact that the Duke of Clarence (afterwards William IV) 

 once availed himself of this route from Liverpool to the south. Sailing 

 boats then brought passengers from Liverpool, landing them on the rock 

 which still shows itself at the north side of the present slip, whence they 

 could pass up a dry sandy shore (far different to the soft mud slope now 

 visible) to the coaches waiting to take them to London and elsewhere. 

 Mr. Tom Johnson, of Malpas, is responsible for the suggestion that tlie 

 Rock Beagles were called RoyaL because they belonged to old King. 



The first question for decision was whether the hounds should be 

 harriers or beagles. 'I'he fact that the Hooton foxhounds were in possession 

 of the country, and that farmers could not be expected to tolerate tlie 

 followers of two packs riding over their land, and also that most of the 

 subscribers were young men engaged in business, not desirous of plunging 

 into the expensive sport of hunting on horseback, decidedly turned the scale 

 in favour of beagles. It was not the fashion of the time for the junior 

 votaries of commerce to give up one or two days a week to sport, but 

 Saturday afternoons were available, and Vlx. Rawscn claims that his eflbrts 

 in inducing the merchants of Liverpool to allow their young men to go 

 out hunting on these afternoons were largely conducive to the now 

 well-established Saturday half-ho'.iday. 



As above stated, a preliminary meeting of the subscribers was held in 

 Rock Ferry, on the 28th March, 1845, at the house of C. Rawson, Junior, 

 who took the chair, the other gentlemen present being 



Henry Barton, J. T. Raynes, 



Tinley Barton, W. F. Foster, 



W. W, Perry, R. Hemingway, 



A. L. Edgar, ^^'. Parkinson. 



They discussed and passed two resolutions, viz. : — ist. That Messrs. 

 Rawson and Raynes should call on the Rev. R. M. Feilden, of Bebington, 

 and on Mr. George King, of Higher Bebington Hall, to solicit permission to 



