About Us
HUNT COUNTRY
The hunt country covers an area of almost 350 square miles of Berwickshire, measuring some 16 miles east to west between the Lauderdale Hunt and the eastern coast of the Scottish Borders, and 20 miles between Coldstream in the south and the Lammermuir Hills in the north. A varied country, it ranges from the glowing purple heather hill of the Lammermuirs, through the large fields of open stock farming country to the predominantly arable area of the ‘Merse’ of Berwickshire.
HUNT HISTORY
The date of the establishment of the Berwickshire Hunt is not known, but it is believed to be the oldest hunt in Scotland. The 1st Earl of Home maintained a pack of hounds in Berwickshire at his own expense until his death in 1619, and was succeeded by his son. Records indicate its full existence in 1740 with Mr Lumsdaine of Blanerne as the Master.
The country has undergone a great many changes, and has close links with the Northumberland. Indeed at times the portion of country now hunted by the College Valley and North Northumberland has been incorporated with it. A still greater extent of the country was hunted during Lord Elcho’s Mastership, including that now hunted by the Percy.
In 1898 the Berwickshire’s name was changed to Northumberland and Berwickshire, and changed again in 1904 to NBH. On the death of Sir James Miller in 1906 the Northumberland portion was again given up as part of the Berwickshire Hunt and the present title was adopted.
1998 was the centenary of hounds being kennelled at Brieryhill.
PAST MASTERS
–16191st Earl of Home
1619 – 16332nd Earl of Home
1740sMr Lunsdaine of Blanerne
1790 – 1826Mr George Baillie of Mellerstain and Jerviswoode *(see note at bottom)
1840 – 1843G Baillie Esq. (later 10th Earl of Haddington), R Baillie Esq. and Mr William Hay of Duns Castle
1840 – 1848Mr David Robertson of Ladykirk (Nothumberland)
1840 – 1867Lord Elcho (later Earl of Wemyss and March)
1848 – 1851Sir George H Boswall, Mr Robertson, and Sir H Hume Campbell (Berwickshire)
1867 – 1871Mr Askew
1871 – 1886Sir John Majoribanks Bt. of Lees
1876 – 188712th Earl of Haddington and The Hon R Baillie Hamilton
1872 – 1880Mr R Calder (Northumberland)
1884 – 1888The Hon. F W Lamberton of Fenton (Northumberland)
1886 – 1888Major J Hunter of Anton’s Hill (Berwickshire)
1887 – 1897Major J Hunter of Anton’s Hill (Whole country)
1897 – 1906Sir James Miller Bt. of Manderston
1906 – 1910F Usher Esq.
1910 – 1912Sir J Hume Campbell Bt. of Marchmont
1912 – 1915Col. C T Menzies and Captain J G Cheap
1915 – 1919Col. C T Menzies
1919 – 1922J L Greig Esq.
1922 – 1930M S Thomson Esq.
1930 – 1939Mrs Menzies
1939 – 1940Captain H R Trotter, Major C W Baillie and J Menzies Esq.
1939 – 1948A committee (Hounds hunted by Miss Annette Usher 1940-6 and Major H R Trotter 1946-8)
1948 – 1951Major H R Trotter and S E A Landale Esq.
1951 – 1953Major H R Trotter, S E A Landale Esq. and Major C W Baillie
1953 – 1958Major H R Trotter and Major C W Baillie
1958 – 1959Major H R Trotter, Major W V Burdon MC and Major A Horn
1959 – 1961Major W V Burdon MC and Major A Horn
1958 – 1967Major A Horn
1967 – 1969Major A Horn and D M Thomson Esq.
1971 – 1975D M Thomson Esq. and W R Tullie Esq.
1975 – 1981D M Thomson Esq., W R Tullie Esq. and T K Morgan Esq.
1981 – 1982D M Thomson Esq., W R Tullie Esq., T K Morgan Esq. and Major A R Trotter
1982 – 1983D M Thomson Esq., Major A R Trotter and D K Tweedie Esq.
1983 – 1988Major A R Trotter and D K Tweedie Esq.
1988 – 1991Major A R Trotter, D K Tweedie Esq. and Mrs R Dewar
1991 – 1992D K Tweedie and Mrs R Dewar
1992 – 1995Mrs R Dewar and Mrs J Y Cowan
1995 – 1996J H Whaley Esq.
1996 – 2000J H Whaley Esq. and The Hon Mrs J H Whaley
2000 – 2003J H Whaley Esq., The Hon Mrs J H Whaley, The Lady Palmer, Christine, Lady de la Rue and Miss D M M Calder
2003 – 2009R G Swan Esq. and A M Thomson Esq.
2009 – 2010R G Swan Esq., A M Thomson Esq. and Mrs Louise Aitken-Walker MBE.
2011 – 2012 RA Innes Esq., R G Swan Esq. and Mrs Louise Aitken-Walker MBE.
2012 –2016 RA Innes Esq., R G Swan Esq., Mrs RA Innes, Mr M Arnott and Mrs D Russell
2016 - 2018 R Mania Esq. R G Swan Esq, C Aitchison Esq, C Tait Esq
2019 – 2020 Gareth Watchman Esq. C Aitchison Esq, C Tait Esq
2020 - Gareth Watchman Esq, C Aitchison Esq, C Tait Esq, James Agnew Esq
* Believed to be the first Master to enter hounds to fox (exclusively) in the district and understood to have introduced the green collar to the Berwickshire and Duke of Buccleuch’s hunts.