Masters of the Hunt (early 1900s)
Masters of the Westmeath Hunt 1900- 1960
Apart from attending to hounds and kennels the joint Masters did a good deal to make the countryside easier to traverse by putting passes and bridges in place in a number of locations. They remained as joint Masters until 1900, when their regiments set sail for South Africa.
Mr Frank Barbour was Master between 1908 –1912, he was succeeded by an American Mr Harry Worcester Smith of Worcester Massachusetts. He brought his own pack of hounds called the Grafton Hounds from the United States , and following a nine month quarantine period he set about hunting the countryside .
Mr E .W. Hope – Johnstone was Master from 1913-1924.
Apart from Lt – Col. Denis Purdon and his brother Lt.Col. Purdon – Winter, who shared the Mastership for twenty nine years between 1927and 1966, most other Masters of the Hunt during the 20th Century only held the position for short periods of time.
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