68 ROYAL ROCK BEAGLE HUNT. 



to proceed to India, Stevenson retired from the army as senior lieutenant, an 

 accident having rendered him unfitted for service in a hot cHmate. In the 

 spring of that year his charger had fallen with him at Hampton Court, 

 whereby he sustained a severe concussion of the brain and other serious 

 mjuries. 



L. R. Stevenson had married in 1866, and on his retirement from the 

 army he entered business life in Liverpool as an iron merchant, taking up 

 his residence in Birkenhead, with his wife and infant son. Here he made the 

 acquaintance of Colonel King and other beaglers, and, having been during 

 his army career accustomed to hunt with foxhounds and harriers, he felt 

 drawn towards the gallant little beagle pack, and joined the R.R.B. in 1869. 

 Stevenson did not take any very active part in the management of the Hunt 

 until he was made Master. He was on the committee, was indefatigable in 

 attending the meets, and took great interest in the sport. On those occasions 

 when Colonel King took the hounds to Llanfyllyn for two or three days' 

 hunting, at the invitation of his old friend Squire Dugdale, Stevenson always 

 made one of the party. 



L. R. Stevenson was Master of the R.R.B. from 1882 to 1889. During 

 his "reign" the sport was most excellent, many notable runs occurring of 

 which no record was kept, but which are treasured in the memories of, and 

 frequently referred to by those privileged to enjoy them. Stevenson resigned 

 the Mastership in 1889, after filling the honourable post for seven seasons to 

 the satisfaction of all. We were proud of him as head of the Hunt, and 

 received his resignation with extreme regret. His portrait is among those of 

 beaglers at Whitby. 



5obu Milliam /IDacfic. 



" Voii twain 

 Rule in tiiii realm, and the gored state sustain." 



A7«^ Lear, act v, scene 3. 



J. W. Macfie is the eldest son of the late Robert Andrew Macfie, 

 Esquire, of Dreghorn Castle, Midlothian, who was the representative in 

 Parliament for the Leith Burghs from 1868 to 1S74, and who died 16th 

 February, 1893. As detailed in Burke's Landed Gentry^ the family were 

 of the clan Macfie or Macduffie, which hailed from the islands of Colonsay 

 and Oronsay, Argyllshire, but were dispossessed by the Macdonalds, and 

 removed to Ayr and Renfrew. Early in this century Macfie's ancestors 

 were in Greenock, where they became connected with the sugar interest, 

 which they have since so worthily represented at Greenock, Leith, and 

 Liverpool. Members of the family intermarried with the families of 

 Marquis, Fairrie, and Thorburn. 



