A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



is of course to be expected that in a great 

 industrial district like North Durham portions of 

 the country must from time to time become 

 unhuntable, and of late years Mr. Rogerson has 

 had to resign a large part of his eastern country 

 lying between Silksworth and Castle Eden, but 

 on the other hand he has been able to resume 

 operations in the Wear Valley on the west, 

 where mining operations are now decreasing. 

 Freeman retired from the post of huntsman in 

 1 906, after twenty-six years' continuous service, 

 during which time he had only been one day off 

 duty. Mr. Rogerson has erected new kennels 

 at his residence, Mount Oswald, near Durham, 

 and will in future hunt the hounds himself, with 

 Joseph Smailes, who has hitherto been first whip, 

 as kennel huntsman. 



The North Durham country is naturally a 

 fine wild sporting one. On its western side, 

 where the best sport is usually enjoyed, it con- 

 sists almost entirely of grass and moorland, with 

 some big woodlands ; on the east, of about equal 

 proportions of grass and plough, but the curse of 

 wire is rather prevalent in this part of the 

 country. Every variety of fence is to be met 

 with, including stone-walls. The season of 

 1905-6 has been the best of the whole of the 

 eighteen years of Mr. Rogerson's mastership, 

 some really remarkable sport having been en- 

 joyed, especially in the west country. Like 

 most of the Durham packs, the North Durham 

 commemorate the Duke of Cleveland's reign by 

 their black velvet collar. 



THE HURWORTH HUNT 



Leaving the north of the county we must 

 now return to its southern extremity, to en- 

 deavour to trace the fortunes of the Hurworth 

 Hunt. The most careful research and inquiry 

 have only produced the most meagre results, a 

 matter for deep regret in connexion with so 

 famous a pack ; and we must go back to the 

 pages of Nimrod for information respecting it. 

 The Hurworth Hounds were founded originally 

 as a private pack of harriers, towards the end 

 of the eighteenth century, by three brothers, 

 Messrs. Thomas, Lozalure, and Matthew Wil- 

 kinson of Neasham Abbey, near Darlington, but 

 were promoted to fox-hunting in 1799. As far 

 as can be gathered each brother acted as master 

 in turn, Thomas, the eldest of the three, doing 

 so until his death in 1820, when he was suc- 

 ceeded by Matthew, who was master at the time 

 of Nimrod's visit in 1826. The last of the 

 three brothers died in 1840, when the master- 

 ship was taken over by his nephew, Mr. Thomas 

 Wilkinson, the hounds having thus been con- 

 tinuously under the management of the Wilkin- 

 son family for upwards of sixty years. During 

 the whole of this time they were to all intents 

 and purposes a private pack, with the kennels 



at Neasham Abbey, though a subscription was 

 accepted from such as chose to offer it. In 

 Matthew Wilkinson's day this only amounted 

 to I 75 a 7 ear > a sum which, as Nimrod 

 remarks, might ' with good management find 

 meal for the hounds.' The pack then consisted 

 of twenty-six couples of working hounds, with 

 four couples at grass. 48 



Apperley, who reviewed the Hurworth after 

 visiting the aristocratic Lambton and Raby 

 establishments, admits he went prepared, in his 

 own words, ' to meet with something still more 

 out of the common way,' and as frankly admits 

 the error of his preconceived notions. 



The Wilkinsons of Neasham, a family of 

 landowners long settled in Durham, repre- 

 sented at the beginning of the last century the 

 best of that now unhappily extinct class, the 

 wealthy yeomen, who aspired with good reason 

 to no higher rank, and rather prided themselves 

 on a certain bluntness of manner and speech, 

 the latter usually couched in their native Doric. 

 To this day many of Matty Wilkinson's terse 

 expressions in the hunting-field are quoted in his 

 native county, and one can only share Apperley's 

 regret that they would not look well in print. 

 Still, to quote the latter's own words : 



A polish weakens the vigour of native powers. Eton 

 and Christchurch might easily have spoiled Matty 

 Wilkinson, and deprived him of a niche in the 

 Temple of Fame ; 



and he aptly sums him up as 



an English sportsman of the old stamp resolute and 

 daring in his favourite pursuit, and manly and 

 powerful. 49 



Although he rode 1 7 stone, Matty Wilkinson 

 hunted his hounds himself, and had a wonderful 

 knack of living with them ; and Apperley refers 

 with admiration to his method of handling his 

 horse across country, though on occasion he was 

 not above dismounting and leading over an 

 awkward place. None the less Mr. Wilkinson 

 was practically without fear where hunting was 

 concerned, and though unable to swim, thought 

 nothing of crossing the Tees when in flood, to 

 get to his hounds. 



Matthew Wilkinson died in 1840, and was 

 followed by his nephew Mr. Thomas Raper, 

 who assumed the name of Wilkinson on succeed- 

 ing to the family estates ; the hounds were still 

 kennelled at Neasham while the hunt was practi- 

 cally carried on at the master's expense, the sub- 

 scription being still merely a nominal one. Mr. 

 Wilkinson hunted the hounds himself for several 

 years, but then handed the horn over to Frank 

 Coates, the first of several professional huntsmen 

 who were in his service. Under Mr. Wilkin- 

 son's mastership the Hurworth Hounds and 

 country soon acquired a more than local reputa- 

 tion, and it is a matter for regret that his death 



48 Nimrod's Northern Tour. 



398 



Ibid. 



