A Brief History of the

Nantucket-Treweryn Beagles 

 

The Treweryn Beagles, organized in 1924, hunted essentially the same country as the Radnor Hunt in Philadelphia's Main Line area. For a good portion of its history, Mr. David B. Sharp, Jr. was master of the Treweryn.

 

The Nantucket Harriers, founded in 1926, hunted jack rabbits during summers on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. Originally a mounted harrier pack, the hunt became a beagle foot pack known as the Nantucket Beagles. The master was Ms. Rebecca Lanier Trimpi.

 

In 1964, following the marriage of Mr. Sharp to Ms. Trimpi, a further merger of their two packs of beagles was almost inevitable. Hence, the Nantucket-Treweryn name was born, and the conjoined masters and packs eventually moved to Middleburg, Virginia and hunted as one for many years. David and Becky Sharp are legenday figures in beagling history, jointly and severally. Some notion of the esteem in which they were held can be derived from the fact that they were the only Americans ever invited to judge beagles at Britain's highly prestigious Peterborough Hound Show.

 

The NTB is now a subscription pack, and is owned by the Nantucket-Treweryn Corporation, a Virginia corporation.

 

The Nantucket-Treweryn Beagles is a member of Beagling's governing body, the National Beagle Club of America. Similar to the Master of Foxhounds Association, the National Beagle Club (NBC) registers all recognized beagle and basset packs and their respective countries. The club is located on The Institute Farm in Aldie, Virginia, an historic property of five hundred acres which used to be in the family of James Madison.

 

In addition to the main clubhouse, which is a treasure trove of "beagliana", each of the senior beagle packs has its own cabin. The cabin of the NTB is named in honor of Stacy B. Lloyd, a beloved Chairman of the Hunt Committee and benefactor of the pack. Members of the NTB enjoy visiting the club especially during the biannual Field Trials held in April and November of each year.

 

-- Frederic B. Underwood, MB