Early History 
31 
dozen or more years, especially at beagle events held 
in Pennsylanvia, Ohio and other surrounding states. 
No one seems to he able to determine just what 
lines of blood constitute the Summers' strain, but 
their influence on the practical beagle has been mar¬ 
velous and continues to this day. 
In Providence, Rhode Island, lives a beagler who 
has been interested in the breed for years. As a 
matter of fact, he has been about the most consistent 
breeder, bench show and field trial patron that is 
to be found in this country. His name is Thos. W. 
Shallcross and he is known to all beaglers on this 
or the other side of the Atlantic. In the early days 
he imported a number of dogs, among others being 
Baronet. This dog has had a certain amount of 
influence on field performers, but it is on the bench 
where most of them have shown. Baronet, how¬ 
ever, was a field trial winner also, and he sired 
some performers. One of his bench winning sons 
was Blitz. 
In about the year 1896, the late Jas. L. Kernochan 
began importing beagles on a large scale and for 
a time it appeared that he would be an important 
figure at field trials and bench shows with the packs 
that he brought over. As a matter of fact, he was, 
but his fancy was but a passing one and before 
long the many dogs that he imported were scattered 
about. However, from these kennels came such 
noted ones as the combination show and field trial 
beagles, Florist, Oronsay, Matron, Leader III and 
Trueman, later owned by the Middlesex Beagles. 
Hector and Flossie went to the Sommersets and 
