in the Seventies and Eighties. S3 



from hunting, at the Hardv/ick Club (after they had been 

 elected in 1834), and then mounting their hacks once more 

 cantered home in the darkness to Newcastle, which was 

 usually reached about 10 p.m. Truly a rem.arkable day's 

 work, to say nothing of the repetition, thrice-a-week, but 

 there is no exaggeration about it, and it was only when he 

 felt a sense of weariness at the close of the day, caused by 

 advancing years, that the veteran Foxhunter allowed himself 

 the comfort of sleeping at the Hardwick Arms, the night 

 before hunting. Up to the very last it was his custom 

 always to sleep in his own bed on hunting nights, and he 

 would, after hurriedly consuming a chop at the " Hardwick," 

 drive to Sedgefield station and catch a train at about a 

 quarter to seven to Newcastle. 



A more popular master of Foxhounds than Mr. John 

 Harvey it would be difficult to imagine ; to those hunting 

 with his pack his courtesy was unvarying ; indeed there was 

 a kind of freemasonry between him and all the members of 

 the Hunt, which rendered anything approaching friction 

 absolutely out of the question. To the Hunt servants he 

 was a Hberal and generous master, though in his dealings 

 with them he always exhibited the same firmness which he 

 showed in his management of the field ; whilst on the best of 

 terms with everybody he never allowed anyone to take a 

 liberty with him, and no doubt it was his great force of 

 character which disarmed everyone and prevented any 

 upstart from harbouring such an idea for a moment. Even 

 yet the farmers of South Durham venerate the name of 

 Harvey, and relate stories of his prowess in the saddle, and 

 tell of the difficulty in catching the "little old man" if ever 

 he got a flying start. His cattle were light weight blood 

 hunters, as nearly throughbred as possible, for he only rode 



