IXAUGURAriOX. 7 



R. J. 'rinl(\\-, Liverpool. T. Ltitwvchc. Rock Forrv. — Martij^ny, Liverpool. 



K. G. Rainsden, ., T. Sleddell, Liverpool. D. C). Bateson, ,. 



G. A. Tinley, ., J. Matthie, ,, \V. Branclccr, Rock l-'erry. 



T.H.Irwin, .. II. Molyneux, ,, A. Lyon, ,, 



Capt. Barton, Roek I'crry. 15. Southern, ,, M. Matthias, ,, 



S. Vertue, Broniboronj;h. O. P>;lihouse, ,, J. F, Williams, Landigan. 



\V. Parkinson, Rock Ferry. B. Littledale, ,, — Lowe, Liverpool. 



E. Mengens, ,, F. Duncan, ,, J- A. Scott, ,, 



J. T. Raynes, ., C. H. Steele, Rock Ferry. H. Hassall, ,, 



H. Jenkins, ,, K. Lane, ,, J. Dixon, Birkenhead. 



The above list of ninely members comprises all those gentlemen who 

 joined the cUib bcl'ore and during the first season, and not one of them was 

 elected by ballot, but by subscribing became, as it were, a kind of syndicate 

 to start the Hunt. ALany of them only joined in order to give the club a fair 

 start, and at the end of tlie first season thiity-two of lliem resigned. 



In looking over this list of members, it is interesting to note the 



manifest influence of Mr. Rawson. He resided at Rock Ferry, and from his 



neighbours and friends came the largest number of recruits to the new club. 



More than half of the original members hailed from Rock Ferry and 



neighbouihood. 



4S from Rock Ferry and New Ferry 



24 from Liverpool and Bootle 



2 from Manchester 

 1 1 from Birkenhead and Tranmere 



5 from elsewhere 



90 



During the course of time this preponderance has left l^ock Ferry, and 

 now we have not a single member from that quarter, our late worthy master, 

 J. W. ALacfie, having gone to reside at Waverton a year or two ago. Although 

 the pack has always been called the Royal Rock Beagles, many people here 

 and there still speak of them as the Rock Ferry Beagles. The late Colonel 

 King, after the departure of Mr. Rawson, attained to a paramount influence 

 in the club. He resided at O.xton, and to this day the majority of the 

 members are from Oxton and Claughton, notwithstanding the spasmodic 

 efforts made to spread the interest by inviting caiiditiales for admission from 

 out-lying parts of the country. 



Having now got the club well established, the next few chapters mu';t 

 be devoted to a description of the steps taken to provide a good pack of 

 hounds and a hunting country, antl of the rise and progress of the Hunt. 



il^- 



