With ancestry dating back to 200 AD., the beagle was originated to hunt/trail small game (the hare and rabbit) by scent. The early development of the breed took place primarily in Great Britain. Imported from England to the U.S. early in the history of this country, beagles were used not only for the pursuit of game for food, but also are hunted as packs or braces for the pleasure of the sport.

Hare hunting with small hounds was popular in England as early as the 14th Century, and while these hounds were likely of beagle type, that breed name was not yet in use. The actual origin of the name “beagle” is uncertain. It may have been derived from the old French “be’geule”, meaning “gape throat” and referring to the baying voice of the hounds when in hot pursuit of their quarry. It has also been often suggested that the term refers to the diminutive size of the hound, possibly deriving from the Old English “begele”, or perhaps the French “beigh” or Celtic “beag” (all of which mean small).

While the little beagles of the Elizabethan period were persistent pack hunters, possessed of great stamina and keen noses, they were lacking somewhat in speed and dash, and failed to remain in favor very long. During the mid-18th century, foxhunting was growing in popularity among those who wished to pursue a more exhilarating sport than watching hounds puzzle out the intricate mazes of the hare. (In fact, the larger breeds of foxhounds and harriers were developed from the crossing of beagles and other scent hounds - the beagle was not "bred down in size" from the foxhounds, a common misconception.)

A revival of interest in hunting with beagles began around 1830, and the Rev. Phillip Honeywood is credited with being the chief pioneer. Most of the foundation hounds of the breed in this country (USA) were imported from the finest British hunting packs. These were truly “dual purpose” beagles, possessing both correct conformation and field abilities. The first definite operations of which there is record credit General Richard Rowett of Carlinville, Ill. as being one of the earliest importers of beagles during the 1870’s, aided in part by Mr. Norman Elmore of Newark, NJ. The Rowett strain of beagles was later carried on by Mr. Pottinger Dorsey & Staley Doub of MD. These hounds were known for their uniform type, and bench show quality of conformation combined with remarkable field ability.