20 The Sedgefleld Country 



a pack to be called the Durham County Foxhounds, though 

 he had no ambition at the time to become Master of the 

 Hunt; he was in fact working on behalf of a triumvirate, 

 consisting of Colonel Tower,* Mr. William Russell, and Lord 

 Seaham (father of the present Marquis of Londonderry), of 

 whom Colonel Tower was appointed field-master; the trium- 

 virate lasted, in name only, for a year or two, as Colonel 

 Tower soon became, for all practical purposes, sole master 

 of the Durham County Foxhounds ; though he received much 

 valuable assistance in the kennels, stables, and finance from 

 Mr. Henderson, who might well be termed the father of the 

 Durham County Hunt. Colonel Tower carried on the 

 Hunt with credit to himself and the country until 1852. 

 During a considerable portion of the time Messrs. John and 

 George Gregson acted as Honorary Secretaries, though, at 

 one period. Colonel Tower acknowledged the subscriptions 

 himself. On Colonel Tower's retirement, Mr. "Billy" William- 

 son undertook a second mastership, which, like its predeces- 

 sor, lasted but for a short period, viz., from 1853 to 1856; 

 Mr. John Harvey, of Newcastle, becoming Hon. Secretary 

 for the Sedgefleld country. Mr. John Henderson acted as 

 M.F.H. in 1856-7 ; and Major Johnson, with Tom Harrison 

 as huntsman and William Snaith as whipper-in, succeeded in 

 office until 1860, when William Snaith took the place of Tom 

 Harrisonf (who died) as huntsman. In 1861, Major John- 

 son retired and his place was again filled by Mr. John 

 HendersonJ (father of Mr. C. W. C. Henderson, who hunted 

 so much in the South Durham country in Mr. Harvey's time, 



• Colonel Tower was father of Mr. H, J. Baker-Baker, of Elemore Hall, who assumed the 

 name of Baker-Baker on succeeding to the property, and grandfather of Mr. J F. Baker- 

 Baker and Captain Baker, R.N., both well known in the hunting field. 



t Tom Harrison, better known as "Little Tom." His real name was John Harrison, and 

 owing to mental depression, caused by loss of his eyesight, he hanged himself in the feed- 

 ing-house at the kennels, on October 15th, 1860. 



J Mr. John Henderson was buried April 10th, 1881, two days only after Mr. "Billy" Williamson. 



