Early Ancestors of Golden Retrievers by Mrs

Early Ancestors Of Golden Retrievers By Mrs. Mark D. Elliott Several years ago my attention was called to an article by Mrs. Elma Stonex in the British "Dog World" Magazine revealing facts of origin about the Golden Retriever which refuted the colorful and romantic story of the Russian circus dogs as the forebears of the breed. That anyone should doubt this story was like a shocking intrusion into the well ordered pattern of one's personal history. In striking contrast to the background so long attributed to Goldens, the article acknowledged their descent from black Wavy Coated Retrievers and Tweed Water Spaniels--the latter breed long lost in obscurity and about which little information had been found. My curiosity aroused, I entered the search, and by chance came across a description in an old and rare copy of Dalziel's British Dogs in---of all surprising places---the chapter on Irish Water Spaniels. More reluctant than ever to concede any connection between the Tweed dogs and our lovely Goldens, I sent this reference to the author of the articles. A most interesting and informative correspondence followed, and through her patience and kindness I soon became a convert to the new findings. Mrs. Stonex is considered one of the foremost authorities on Golden Retrievers today, and she has shared with us facts, photographs and pedigrees which relate the true beginnings of the breed. Her research had been stimulated by information published in the British "Country Life" Magazine early in 1952 and 1953 which had been contributed by the Earl of Ilchester who had recognized the need for making public what he knew about the yellow retrievers before it became too late. Lord Ilchester not only recounted his own experiences before the turn of the century but disclosed recently discovered notes written by his great uncle, Sir Dudley Marjoribanks (pronounced Marshbanks), who was later known as LordTweedmouth. Sir Dudley founded the Golden Retriever breed and his kennel records establish for certain the logical relationship between Goldens and other retriever varieties. Until the discovery of the Tweedmouth stud book, few people had challenged the legend surrounding the background of "Nous", the foundation sire, as he was believed by most to have been one of a troupe of trick dogs imported from Russia known as Russian Trackers. Mrs. W. A. Charlesworth, owner of the celebrated Noranby Kennels from nearly five decades earlier, and author of the popular and widely distributed Book of the Golden Retriever (1932), had championed the story of the Russian origin with such fervor that the voices of skeptics had been quite suppressed. Just before Lord Ilchester's articles appeared, however, a book entitled Dogs Since 1900 was published. Its author, Mr. A. Croxton-Smith, here tells how over a long period of time he had given wide publicity to the story of the circus dogs, but, after talking directly with descendants of the original breeder, he had become convinced that the Russian origin was but a myth. This is what he says: "Col. Ie Poer Trench ( St. Hubert's Kennel) told me a romantic story which I was responsible for reporting extensively in various articles, to the effect that Sir Dudley Marjoribanks founded his kennel on a troupe of performing dogs that he bought from a circus proprietor in Brighton soon after the Crimean War. My old friend told me this story with such conviction that I had no reason to doubt it, but when I saw descendants of Mr. Harcourt's strain (Culham} I came to the conclusion that they were not greatly different from the FlatCoats that I used to know when a boy, and I thought the best way of getting an accurate version of the origin of the Guisachan dogs was to go to the late Lord Tweedmouth who was the grandson of the first peer. "He told me that one Sunday when his grandfather and father were at Brighton in the late '60's, they met a good looking yellow retriever and approached the man who had it. This man, who was a cobbler, said that he had received the dog in lieu of a bad debt from a keeper in the neighbourhood and that it was the only yellow puppy out of a black Wavy-Coated (the Flat Coats were then called Wavy) Retriever litter. Sir Dudley bought the dog and later obtained a bitch of a similar colour in the Border country. Several others were obtained, and to prevent the danger of excessive inbreeding, an occasional outcross was made with black Flat-Coated bitches. The third Lord Tweedmouth assured me that there was never a trace of Bloodhound in them -- they were absolutely purebred Retriever. "This version had corroboration in a letter published in the 'Field' in 1941, when M. S. H. Whitbread stated that the second Lord Tweedmouth told him how, as a small boy at school near Brighton, his father, Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, took him for a walk on the downs where they met a man with a very handsome young yellow retriever. He was a shoemaker and had received the puppy from Obed Miles, the keeper at Stanmer, in payment for a bill. Sir Dudley bought the dog, which was the originator of the Tweedmouth breed. "Reading these two accounts together, combined with my previous doubts, I feel we must accept them as being correct." One cannot disregard the fact that dogs of Russian origin did come into England during the 19th century and especially after the time of the Crimean War. The Russian Pointer, the Russian Setter and the Russian Retriever are described in detail in numerous writings, but the descriptions of appearance as well as temperament are incongruous with those of the dogs, which Lord Tweedmouth recorded as being in his kennel. If he did use any Russian dogs in experimental crosses the notations do not show it. The first British show registry, which covers the years 1859-73, listed a retriever named "Sultan" bred by Lord Tweedmouth's son E. Marjoribanks, which was by " Moscow" out of a Tweed Water Spaniel. But names with Russian connotation were found in other breeds, as well, and since this breeding was not mentioned elsewhere it would seem probable that the nomenclature was influenced by the war. Knowing of this registration, however, may lend some comfort to those whose love of mystery makes it difficult to give up completely all connection with the legend of the circus dogs. The Wavy-Coated Retrievers were ascending the height of popularity in the mid-1800's when Sir Dudley took an interest in developing the yellow variety. The Curly-Coats had already come into their own. Flat-Coats, as the name would imply, were a later modification of the Wavies, and both were classified in the British Kennel Club registry as Wavy-or-Flat-Coated Retrievers. Labradors were also becoming popular but these, like the yellows, were listed among the Wavy-or-Flat-Coats until after 1900, and were identified mainly where color and coat or breeder were mentioned. One of many keen sportsmen, Sir Dudley had watched with interest the emergence of different retriever types. His kennel records, which date from 1835, show that at one time or another he owned and bred beagles, pointers, setters, greyhounds, Scottish Deerhounds and Irish Water Spaniels. In 1854 he moved to his Guisachan estate (pronounced goowissican) near Beauly, Scotland, and about a decade later obtained the foundation stock for the breeding program which was to make such an impact on the world of dogs. As a mate for the reportedly handsome "Nous" (meaning wisdom), the light colored pup from a litter of black Wavy-Coats, he selected "Belle", a Tweed Water Spaniel which had been given him by a relative who lived at Ladykirk, located on the River Tweed along the Border country. "Belle" was the second Tweed Spaniel to appear in his kennel notes, the first having died at an early age. From what we can learn about these dogs--if one is to question Lord Tweedmouth's choice--it would appear that the selection could not have been made to enhance beauty, but rather to intensify the aquatic ability and the already pleasant character of the Wavy-Coats. For in giving thought to Sir Dudley's program, and considering the variety apparent in the early yellow retrievers, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that character, temperament and usability outranked his concern for uniformity. The black Wavy-Coats had acquired beauty and nobility, courage, love of water and keen scenting ability from their Newfoundland and setter forebears from which combination they are known to have descended. It is important, however, to identify the type of Newfoundland referred to in the line of descent, as there was more than one variety. To develop retrievers of the desired moderate size it would not have been practical to resort to the massive Newfoundland such as we know today or such as had been known in England long before. Credit must be given to the St. John's Newfoundland which first appeared on the shores of England in the early 1800's aboard fishing vessels from North America. Because of the proximity of the provinces whence they came, the St. John's Dogs were also referred to as Labradors. Their influence on all retriever breeds is indisputable, but the early nomenclature must not be confused with the pure breed of Labrador developed several decades later. The smaller Newfoundland is believed to have been indigenous to the provinces, while the larger variety with their tremendous coats resulted from crosses with Pyrenean Mountain Dogs which came with ships from Spain.

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