HISTOKY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



more nearly to £1500 — the hounds hunting three 

 and four days a- week. 



Williamson, who afterwards became such a promi- 

 nent figure in the annals of Scottish hunting, was 

 born in August 1782.^ His father, James William- 

 son, after having acted as whipper-in to the Lothian 

 Hounds under Mr Baird and Colonel Hamilton, 

 became head -groom to the latter, and it was 

 then that Williamson entered the Colonel's service 

 as message-boy. In 1802 he began his hunting 

 life as second whipper-in to the pack with which 

 his father had previously been connected.^ Seven 

 years later he was promoted, and after serving 

 as first whipper - in for another period of seven 

 years, was made huntsman.^ This position he held, 

 first under Mr Baird, and afterwards under the 

 Duke of Buccleuch, for the long space of forty -six 

 seasons, his retirement not taking place until the 

 end of the month of April 1862.^ "Mr William 

 Williamson, the oldest living huntsman, bar Tom 

 Wingfield, senior, has retired from the Duke of 

 Buccleuch's service. This celebrated Scottish 

 worthy was born in 1782, just one year after the 

 late Lord Campbell, and those who were at the 

 last Hartrigge meet, at which his Lordship was 

 present, remember how the Lord Chancellor came 

 out to greet Will on the lawn, and how the great 



^ Memorandum among papers at Dalkeith House. 

 - The ' Sporting Magazine ' for June 1824 states that Williamson was 

 educated under Granger. This appears to be erroneous. 



3 Memorandum among papers at Dalkeith House. * Ibid. 



76 



