John Henry Walsh

Who was John Henry Walsh?

John Henry Walsh FRCS was an English sports writer going by the pseudonym "Stonehenge." He was born in Hackney, London.

He was educated at private schools and became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1844. For several years he followed his profession of surgery, but gradually abandoned it on account of the success of his works on the subject of sport. He relocated from the country to London in 1852, and the following year published his first important book, The Greyhound, a collection of papers originally contributed to Bell's Life.

In 1856, his Manual of British Rural Sports appeared which enjoyed many editions. During the same year he joined the staff of The Field and became its editor at the close of 1857. Among his numerous books published under the name of "Stonehenge" are:

The Shot-Gun and Sporting Rifle

The Dog in Health and Disease

The Horse in the Stable and in the Field

Dogs of the British Isles

The Modern Sportsman's Gun and Rifle

While editor of The Field, Walsh instituted a series of trials of guns, rifles, and sporting powders extending over a period of many years, which greatly contributed to the development of sporting firearms.