ii8 Reminiscences of & 



they knew all about it. I was invalided home from Austria, 

 as the doctors said that I could not stand the climate, and 

 crossed from Rotterdam on March 12th, 1874, the only day 

 on which the Brocklesby hounds were stopped hunting all 

 that season. It was rough, and I was ill ! 



My destination was of course home to Brocklesby, where 

 William Claxon — who had been in treaty with Mr. John 

 Harvey, master of the South Durham hounds, for the place 

 of huntsman — chanced to come with some bitches about that 

 time, and being in want of a first whipper-in for the South 

 Durham sent for me, and asked me if I would go there 

 with him, as we 'd been together before at Brocklesby. The 

 chance of going to the York and Ainsty, as second whip, 

 had been offered me, but I wanted to do better, and after 

 communicating with Mr. Harvey (through Claxon), engaged 

 to come to the South Durham as first whipper-in.* 



Accordingly, in May, 1874, I came to Sedgefield, and 

 went to the kennels in Hardwick Park, arriving about four 

 p.m., and Claxon came about eight the same evening. We 

 put up at the Hardwick Arms, then kept by John McMorrin,t 

 for the first night or two, as Tommy Dowdeswell, the late 

 huntsman, hadn't got all his furniture away from the kennels. 

 Next morning, early, we went down to the kennels to 

 examine and carefully look over the hounds, and found them 

 a very rough lot, and the kennels in a dirty, untidy state. 



• Claxon was very strongly recommended by "Bob" Worrall to take Bevans as first whipper- 

 in for Mr. Harvey. 



f Mr. John McMorrin has now the " Town Farm," Sedgefield. One day in Mr. Harvey's 

 time, when John kept the Hardwick Arms, Lord Castlereagh (now Marquis of London- 

 derry) came in after hunting soaked to the skin, and was advised to borrow a change of 

 clothes. John lent him his best Sunday suit, just arrived from the tailors, and when it 

 was returned to him found a sovereign in the waistcoat pocket, no doubt purposely placed 

 there. He was naturally overjoyed, and anxious to lend "his coverts " again, but, as 

 he humorously says, " Ever since then they have been drawn blank " ! 



