166 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



estimated that 70 per cent, of the Morpeth country is grass, 

 20 per cent, moorland and woodland, and only 5 per cent, 

 under the plough. It will be understood, then, that the 

 country is, like its neighbour, the Tynedale, essentially a 

 grass one, and in pre-war days fields were often of great size, 

 more especially when hounds met in the Whalton country. 

 Since the war Major W. W. Burden has been hunting this 

 eastern parti of the Morpeth coujitry two days a week, by 

 arrangement with the Morpeth Hunt. 



Mr. John Cookson's mastership extended over a period of 

 nineteen years, and he was followed by his son, the late Mr. 

 John Blencowe Cookson, who held oflBice until 1894, the father 

 and son thus having control of the Morpeth hunt for a period 

 of forty years. The younger Mr. Cookson was his own hunts- 

 man, and was one of the smartest amateur huntsmen of his 

 day. He rode hard, and had a wonderfully good eye for what 

 hounds were doing, besides having great knowledge of the 

 sport. He was extraordinarily quick in the field, too, and I 

 once recollect Mr. Maynard (during his mastership of the 

 North Durham) being annoyed at the slowness of his own 

 huntsman, and shouting out: " I'll send you to have a day 

 with the Morpeth, so that you may see how quick a huntsman 

 can be." The Cookson era was a most successful one, and 

 the hunt exceedingly popular, and it need hardly be said a 

 very high average of sport was maintained. My first visits to 

 the Morpeth were paid during the last years of the elder 

 Mr. Cookson's mastership, and between 1873 and 1875, and 

 as I went from Stamfordham with the late Mr. Percy Taylor 

 I generally saw hounds in their best country. Towards the 

 end of the 'seventies I had a fair number of days with the 

 pack on the Newcastle side of the country, riding hirelings 

 obtained at Newcastle, and having as a rule John Greenwell 

 for my companion. My old friend dearly loved a day in a 

 strange country, and together we visited many northern 

 hunts; but for a time he was a good deal inclined to the 

 Morpeth, firstly because hirelings in good condition were in 

 those days always to be found in Newcastle, and, secondly, 

 becaixse he could stay comfortably at the long defunct North- 

 umberland Club in Westgate-road, which was in those days a 

 great resort of northern hunting men. Then, too,, John 



