88 The Sedgefield Country 



following season, 1873-4, when he leit to join the South 

 Durham as huntsman to Mr. John Harvey. Viscount 

 Valentia, it may be remembered, was anxious to hunt the 

 hounds himself two days a week durinj^ the season of 1874-5, 

 and it was this curtailment of his duties which no doubt led 

 to Claxon's giving up a service which he had filled with 

 conspicuous ability. 



Claxon acted as huntsman of the South Durham, Sir 

 William Eden's hounds, and again of the South Durham for 

 thirteen successive years, i.e., from 1874 to 1887; when he 

 retired, owing to increasing weight, after a service of twenty- 

 two years with hounds, during fifteen of which he carried 

 the horn. As a huntsman he displayed considerable skill, 

 having great control over his temper as well as over his 

 hounds, and being gifted with wonderful patience ; his hounds 

 were fond of him, and he excelled in kennel management 

 and general knowledge of what a foxhound ought to be ; if 

 he had a fault it was a too great fondness for the use of 

 the horn in calling hounds together after a covert or gorse 

 had been drawn blank, the result being that foxes stole 

 away from their kennels down wind, and "stale lines" were 

 occasionally indulged in. But Claxon will always be best 

 known as part only of an extraordinary combination, con- 

 sisting of himself as huntsman, and Jack Bevans as first 

 whipper-in ; it was in this dual capacity, or combination, that 

 the talents of both working together were fully displayed ; 

 whilst Claxon may be said to have had a marvellous control 

 over his hounds, Jack Bevans had similarly an almost super- 

 human control over the fox; he knew instinctively where he 

 was to be found, and was continually turning him up in a 

 fallow field, a thick fence, or a solitary patch of gorse ; the 

 same instinct seemed to tell him what would be reynard's 



