THE MASTERS. 



71 



country. He is iiidefaligable in attending his fixtures, only occasionally 

 absenting himself when he goes for a little deer-stalicing or other shooting, 

 wuh his friend, John Sherwood, in Scotland. On these occasions he hands 

 the horn, as deputy master, to C'. T. Dixon or J. Ravenscroft, allowing 

 Davies, the kennel huntsman, to hunt the hounds in the field. 



Smyth joined the Association of Masters of Harriers and l>eag!es, 

 which liis predecessor, Macfie, had aided in promoting. He put the R.R.B. 

 pack into the Stud Book, every hound being eligible, and has since taken 

 great interest in the work of the .Association. :\.t Peterborough hound show 

 the R.R.r>. have been fairly successful in winning prizes. At the show in 

 1895 Smyth got first prize for ''champion bitch,'" and also for the "best 

 " couple of bitches." It is worthy of note that in this year all the first 

 prizes for beagles came to Cheshire — the Cheshire Beagles wiiming for 

 " champion dog "' and '"best couple unentered hounds;" and the Malpas 

 Beagles winning for "best couple of dogs" and "best three couple of 

 " hounds."' 



J. Gould Smyth was born July 25th, 185 i, at Miller's Bridge. His family 

 came from Devonshire, where his uncle, Mr. "William Gould Smyth, kept a 

 pack of harriers for some thirty years. With this pack our Master, in his 

 boyhood and youth, gained his great and noteworthy knowledge of hare- 

 hunting. There also he had the chance of gaining experience in stag-hunting 

 and various kinds of sport. On the death of Mr. W. Gould Smyth, the pack 

 was bought by the Empress of Austria, who was well pleased with the hounds. 

 Shortly afterwards, Miss Smyth received from the Empress a beautifully- 

 mounted pad as a memento. 



The Smyths are now well known in Liverpool and Wirral as a sporting 

 and athletic family. The brothers of our Master have all been beaglers and 

 good runners, and his son, who is now getting his athletic and scholastic 

 training at Loretto, comes out with us during his holidays, and gives great 

 promise of " leading the field." 



