The Sedgefield Country Richard Ord 1904 First Edition Fox Hunting Illustrated
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
 
Title: The Sedgefield Country in the Seventies and Eighties, with the Reminiscences of a First Whipper-in
Author: Richard Ord
Publisher: Wm. Dresser & Sons, Darlington
Date: 1904
Edition: First edition
 
Written and compiled by Richard Ord, author of the Fox-Hunters’ “Vade Mecum”, this substantial Edwardian sporting volume chronicles the personalities, hunts, and traditions associated with the historic Sedgefield hunting country.
 
The work is illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of Hon. G. Hamilton-Russell together with plates facing pages 48, 52, 56, 80, 88, 96, and 216. All illustrations are present and accounted for.
 
Illustrations include:
Hon. G. Hamilton-Russell 
Harvey Presentation Picture 
Mr. John Harvey 
Sir William Eden, Bart. 
Mr. R. Ord 
William Claxon – 1874 
John Bevans – 1881 
“Jack Resurrected” – 1903 
 
Historical & Bibliographic Context
 
This richly detailed sporting history offers an evocative account of fox-hunting life in the Sedgefield region during the later Victorian period. Combining memoir, sporting anecdote, and local historical record, the volume captures an important aspect of rural British sporting culture before the First World War.
 
Large-format regional hunting histories such as this were often produced in comparatively small print runs for local sporting communities and subscribers, making surviving copies increasingly difficult to locate today.
 
The work is particularly valued for its photographic illustrations, first-hand reminiscences, and documentation of notable hunting figures associated with the Sedgefield country.
 
About the Author
 
Richard Ord was a sporting writer best known for documenting British hunting traditions.
 
Binding & Exterior Description
 
A handsome and imposing large-format Edwardian sporting work, quarter bound with red cloth to the spine and board edges over light brown cloth-covered boards.
 
The front board features red lettering and a small fox illustration, while the spine carries gilt lettering. The volume retains strong shelf presence and displays attractively despite age-related wear.
 
The binding remains intact and robust overall with expected signs of use and age including:
Fading to the spine 
Small rips to the head and tail of the spine 
Bumping and rubbing to the corners 
Small corner splits 
Light stains and marks 
Minor creasing and shelf wear 
 
Overall, the exterior remains structurally sound and presents well for a large Edwardian sporting volume.
 
Interior Condition
 
The pages are lightly tanned with light foxing throughout, typical for the period.
A pencil ownership inscription to the front free endpaper appears to read:
“C. Forster April 1904”
 
No further pen or pencil markings are present.
 
The pages are otherwise generally neat with only occasional small marks or light creases noted. There are no tears to the pages.
 
All 232 pages are present and secure. The volume also retains its errata slip inserted within the contents section, an increasingly uncommon survival.
 
There are partial gutter cracks between the pastedowns and free endpapers, together with several light internal gutter cracks between a small number of pages. Importantly, the binding remains holding and structurally sound overall.
 
Physical Details
 
Pages: 232
Dimensions: Approximately 28.4 cm x 22.5 cm x 3.6 cm
Weight: Approximately 1164 g