32 FOX-HUNTING FROM SHIRE TO SHIRE 



the line going north-west, midway between these 

 two busy centres of industry, is a fair valley of 

 grass and woods through which winds the river 

 Derwent. Half way down the steep hill-side nestles 

 the village of Shotley Bridge, where are the kennels 

 of a very sporting pack, the Braes of Derwent, 

 which have been presided over and hunted by 

 Mr Lewis Priestman during the past fifteen seasons. 

 In the early 'fifties hounds were kennelled at Castle- 

 side and were the property of the late Mr Jonathan 

 Richardson, father of Mr Charles Richardson the 

 present hunting-editor of the Field, and well-known 



writer on sport. The hunts- 

 man during this mastership 

 was one Joseph Kirk, quite a 

 character noted for original 

 sayings, and it is generally 

 supposed that Mr Surtees 

 who lived at Hamsterley 

 Hall and hunted with 

 this pack, modelled the 

 character of James Pigg from the Braes of Derwent 

 huntsman. 



Previous to 1896 the mastership was held by 

 Colonel John A. Cowen for the long period of twenty- 

 seven years, the mastership of Mr William Cowen 

 which preceded this, covering another fourteen 

 seasons, which takes us back to 1854, proving the 

 health-giving influences derived from breathing the 

 air of the Braes of Derwent country. Directly we 

 turn our back on the tall chimneys, pit-wheels, and 

 slag heaps which bristle along the ridge of the high 

 ground, it is possible to realise that there is a fair 

 sporting domain, rugged, wild, and picturesque, to 

 hunt which hounds must possess courage, persever- 

 ance, scenting powers, and self-reliance if they are to 



