AND STIRLINGSHIRE HUNT 



Scottish huntsman thanked the great lawyer from 

 his saddle, for the honour he had done their mutual 

 country by his occupation of the English woolsack. 

 Unluckily, no photographer was by to ' fix ' that 

 memorable handshake between * Plain Jock ' and 

 Will. Will's professional hunting sphere has 

 known no change, although for twenty or thirty 

 years he occasionally had a mount from his Mel- 

 tonian pupils, to see a gallop with the Quorn. At 

 thirteen he went to serve under his father, who 

 was then groom to Colonel Hamilton, and stayed 

 there seven years as message-boy and pad-groom 

 to the Colonel ; and in 1802 he commenced his 

 sixty years of hunting life as second whip to the 

 Lothian Hounds, of which Mr Baird, of Newbyth, 

 was the master, John King the huntsman, and 

 Frank Collison, father of Peter of the Cheshire, 

 first whip. In seven years' time Frank got the 

 horn, and after keeping it for seven more, retired 

 in Williamson's favour. Will thus got his pro- 

 motion eleven years before the present Duke of 

 Buccleuch came of age, up to which time ' The 

 Lothian ' was a subscription pack,^ and held it till 

 April 22nd of this year, when he hung up his coat 

 and cap after as long and as honourable a service, 

 and under as good a master as ever fell to 

 huntsman's lot." ^ 



No portrait of Williamson was painted until 

 after he had retired, but he then sat first for Sir 



1 Not in the present acceptation of the term. 



2 * New Sporting Magazine,' June 1862. 



71 



