THE MASTERS. 39 



but lie was persuaded by the club to retain the mastership till the return of 

 V. A. KiuLj;. then absent in Bombay. 



At the eighth annual general meeting, held August i8th, 1853, C. Rawson 

 " regretted that the time had come that he was obliged to resign the office of 

 Master. Now that he had left Liverpool, he was seldom able to visit these parts, 

 and he was sure it was more for the good of the Hunt to have a Master not only 

 resident but well kno\\n in the neighbourhood. He had great pleasure in 

 proposing Mr. V. A. King as a gentleman suited in every respect to the honour- 

 able ofiicc of Master to the R.R.H. Hunt." This being seconded by H. Walft)rd, 

 was carried unanimously. \'. .\. King was kind enough to accept the office, 

 and took the chair. 



C. Rawson was born at Halifax, Yorkshire, November 26ih, 18 16, and 

 at the age of seventeen went out to China, where he remamed for five years. 

 Soon after his return from abroad (in 1839), he came to Liverpool to engage 

 in business. He was married in 1840, and came to reside in Rock Ferry in 

 1843. He was always fond of sport, and before starting the R.R.B. used to 

 liunt with the Cheshire foxhounds, and also with the Hooton pack. 



Being the moving spirit in the institution of the R. R. B. he was made 

 the first Chairman, and on the retirement of T. Barton, became Master of 

 the Hounds in 1848, which position he retained for five seasons. In 1852 he 

 left Liverpool for the South of ICngland, where he resides to this day, still 

 keeping an unflagging interest in all that concerns his dear old pack. 



It would appear that C. Rawson had given indications of leaving Liver- 

 pool for a year or two before he finally did so, as in 1848 the beaglers and a 

 few others of his intimate friends had a beautiful picture of iiimself, the 

 huntsman and hounds, painted by a celebrated artist, which picture was 

 presented to him at a public dinner. The following account of this dinner 

 is taken from the Liverpool Mail, and Mr. Rawson has kindly furnished a 

 photograph of tlie picture, which he still values as one of his most cherished 

 possessions. 



The re-production of tiie photograph on the opposite page will be of 

 intense interest to present-day beaglers, as it is practically a representation of 

 the first pack of hounds formed hy the R. R.B. The picture was painted 

 by Herr Trautschaw, the scene being laid at Thurstaston, and the hounds 

 each standing for its likeness. The pack ran about 14^ inciies. 



Mr. Rawson appears on the left of the picture, with his curved horn and 

 baldric well in view ; the other figure is that of the famous huntsman, Jones, 

 with his leaping pole. The hound leaping up at Rawson's hand is Charity, 

 and that on the extreme left is Trumpeter. The three hounds in the fore- 

 ground are Forester (left), Dairymaid (centre), and Bounty, and the hound on 

 the right, looking at them, is the noted Finder. The hound sitting above 

 Forester's back is Beauty, with Hero just in front of her, but indistinct, 

 while Blossom's head covers Hero and his stern touches Rawson's coat. 



