HISTORY OF THE BREED
The Warwickshire (North) hunt used terriers (14-18 lbs.) which were short-legged with a rough coat type favored by the Rev. Jack Russell. These terriers were bred by Mr. S. T. Holland, who has been reported to have bred these terriers since 1903. His kennels were originally founded by Mr. Victor Cartwright, most of which died in World War. The strain was restored in 1919 by breeding three bitches each owned by Col. Fuller, M. F. H., Mr. Rawle of Porlock, and Maj. Jackson M. F. H. to an unnamed dog of similar type, presumably of a working strain. One of these terriers "Tiger" was sold to the Chagrin Valley Hunt, U. S. A. In the 40's and 50's surrounding the Warwickshire Hunt there were seven hunts total. Atherstone: no preference as long as it worked. Bicester and Wardenhill: Small fox terriers. Cotswolds: Non-pedigree Jack Russell Terriers. Hethrop: Fox terrier x border cross. Worcestershire: Sealyham x fox terrier. The Foway Harriers and the Seavington Hunt, covering 224 miles square of Dorset and Somerset countryside. Both of these hunts used Sealyham blends. The Foway using Sealyham x Russell and the Seavington: 3/4 Sealyham x 1/4 Fox (rough) terrier.
The last hunt in England to use a Sealyham (one purchased from J. Lucas himself out of "IImer Jack" was one owned by Lady Vivian). She was employed by Douglas Corpsman M. F. H. (1906-21 and joint M. F. H. 1921-1935. of the Cambridge Hunt to carry out all terrier work.) Three other hunts, the Waterford Hunt (300 square miles of the Waterford Co. in Ireland.) used the Sealyham x fox terrier cross as a rule. The Pembrokeshire South (covering Pembrokeshire and some of Carmarthenshire in Wales) used Sealyham x fox terrier cross. The Eglington (170,000 acres in Ayrshire Scotland) employed a huntsman Mr. F. Andrews who used purebred Sealyhams for all his terrier work, one dog in particular "Barker" was regularly used.
The Shelburne Hunt, Vermont, (originally a drag hunt) used short legged hunt terriers. J. Watson Webb M. F. H. created a small game terrier in 1903, called the Shelburne Terrier. She used a Sealyham terrier bitch (one of the first imported in 1911) crossed on a show Champion wire-haired fox terrier. Some of the pups were bred to a Norfolk Terrier called Scamp. Scamp was a son of a dog called Willum Jones imported by Mr. R. E. Strawbridge. Scamp was produced by mating a West Highland bitch to Willum (who in fact was an Irish Terrier) which came from the West Coast of Ireland. Another breeder of these dogs was Col. H. Nelson Jackson of Burlington, Vermont.
The Star Ridge Hunt, New York State (established 1928) used pedigree Jack Russell Terriers, M. F. H. Mr. E. Tefft. Smithson Foxhounds (Suffolk, New York) used wire-haired Fox Terriers, M. F. H. Mrs. John Van S. Bloodgood. The Myopia (Essex Massachusetts and New Hampshire) used Sealyham x Fox Terrier crosses, M. F. H. Mr. J. W. Appleton. He also in 1911, used Sealyham x Bull Terrier. The Field Artillery Hunt (Oklahoma) used Lakeland x Airdale crosses because they hunted prairie wolves. M. F. H. Maj. G. M. Peek.
The short-legged working Jack Russell Terriers may not have the colorful history surrounding the Reverend Parsons, but they can be traced back to working strains in England used for fox hunting through the Sealyham x Bull Terrier x Fox Terrier crosses used in the English hunts. *Sir Jocelyn Lucas was reported to have used a strain of Fox Terriers traced directly back to the Reverends fox terriers in his development of the *Sealyham and Lucas Terriers. *Peer Gynt, born 1903, a renowned stud of his time looks very much like the short-legged Jack Russell Terrier rough coats of today. The Sealyham Terriers produced by Captain Lucas were known as badger machines. They were excellent companions and packed well.
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Author JoAnn McLeod Stoll
All Rights Reserved 2003
