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Hello From a New Member


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Hello Everyone,

 

I'm Nigel and I am not a hunter, in fact it has been almost 14 years since I shot anything, even paper targets. I was a soldier so I have done plenty of shooting and weapon handling, some trapping and the survival food type stuff, but that's not primarily why I'm here.

 

I have come here to pick your brains about a North of England hunter from about 100 - 120 years ago. I am currently researching the life of a chap by the name of Charles William Dixon-Johnson, who was born in Croft on Tees in 1875 and lived there until his marriage to a Northumberland lady called Christian Grey, of Milfield, near Wooler in 1908.

 

Charles Dixon-Johnson was the younger son of Cuthbert Greenwood Dixon-Johnson JP, who I know hunted with the Hurworth Hunt - they cancelled their meet on the day of his funeral in 1899 as a mark of respect for their former member. The elder son was Captain Cuthbert Francis Dixon-Johnson who, as a cavalry officer, would have been expected to hunt with his regiment, and so, could possibly have been a Hurworth man too. I have contact details for Hurworth Hunt.

 

When Charles married he moved from Croft to Hethpool, close to Milfield, where I believe the modern College Valley and North Northumberland Hunt now operates. I have contact details for this hunt also. According to the write-up I have seen on the web, the College Valley Hunt only began in 1924, after the death of Charles Dixon-Johnson, but the North Northumberland Hunt is of much older vintage. I have not yet found any evidence of it, but it is likely that a gentleman with his status would have been part of this hunt.

 

Charles Dixon-Johnson was Killed in Action in October 1917 during the 3rd Battle of Ypres, which is perhaps better known simply as 'Passchendaele' and his body was never found. His name appears engraved on the War Memorial at Kirknewton, close to Hethpool and Milfield in a particularly lovely part of the world.

 

So, now I turn to you for help in tracing any possible links. If any forum member knows of any publication which ran at the time and was devoted to hunting, farming, horses and horsebreeding, or any similar subject which I have not mentioned, I would be very grateful for hints and tips on where to look. I know he successfully showed horses, winning prizes at shows across the North of England from the 1890s to the 1910s and so if there are any historic programmes for shows in existence they would be particularly interesting.

 

Finally, I know this is a hunting forum and my request for help is not directly in line with the focus of this forum, but if you are able to help, I would be very appreciative. I apologise if this post is outside the remit of this forum, but it seemed like the best place to come to for advice.

Edited by Nigel Marshall
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Have you been in touch with the hurworth at all nigel..?

 

Hi Ian, and everyone, thanks for your welcome.

 

I have only just come across the information that my man might have had links to the two hunts mentioned in the last week so I will make first contact with them in the next week or two and ask them pretty much what I asked here.

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