CHAPTER VII 



THE HURWORTH HUNT 



The Hurworth country is partly in Durham and 

 partly in Yorkshire, the River Tees dividing 

 the northern from the southern portion. The 

 Hunt appears to date a long way back, 

 and was carried on for many years by the 

 Wilkinsons of Neasham Abbey, a family of 

 brothers whose names were Thomas, Lozelure, 

 and Matthew. The Master in the early part of 

 the last century was Thomas, and after his death 

 the Hunt was continued by the two remaining 

 brothers, whose names, according to the custom 

 of the country, were curtailed into '' Lozzy " 

 and '' Matty." The latter was both Master and 

 Huntsman, and enjoyed much reputation as a 

 sportsman, in fact he became a hero even in the 

 eyes of '' Nimrod," who in his '* Yorkshire Tour '' 

 of 1827 wrote a great deal about him to the 

 Sporting Magazine of that year. I will quote the 

 description in " Nimrod's " own language : 



'' On Friday morning Mr. Flounders accom- 

 panied me to Croft Bridge to meet the Hurworth 

 Hounds, which place was about eight miles from 



