History of the Sealyham Terrier – The Captain’s Vision

BY LEE CONNOR

As we have seen in so many of our pedigree dogs’ histories, again, and again, the names of one or two special men or women always seem to outshine the rest. These are the ones that, in many cases, dedicate their whole lives to the formation and preservation of their chosen breed, and their efforts and sacrifice deserve to be recognized and remembered. The same is true with this month’s breed, the Sealyham. No article on this terrier would be complete without a reference to the man who laid the foundation for a breed that would rule supreme, both in the USA and in the UK, throughout the 1920s and ‘30s.

The Sealyham is the creation of an eccentric sportsman, born in 1808, named John Owen Tucker Edwardes. He died in 1891, at the age of 81, and was a descendant of very ancient ancestry, which could be traced back to the reign of Edward III (1327-1377). From that date, his family has been firmly connected with Pembrokeshire in Wales. Captain Edwardes was attached to the 23rd Regiment. He was also Justice of the Peace for the county of Pembroke. He had only one son; who married and died without heirs, just six months after his father, so that branch of the family interested in the Sealyham, sadly, became extinct.

This very special little terrier gained his name from the place where its originator resided, Sealyham, a small country mansion close to Fishguard. It was here, in this lonely retreat, which a retired soldier thought out and decided upon the perfect working terrier. Captain Edwardes sole aim was to evolve and then breed to a stan- dardized type: a terrier that would prove to be a useful ally to his pack of Otter Hounds, with which he would regularly hunt the river Sealy, that passed very close to the Sealyham house.

The land all around was hilly and rocky, and could only be traversed by a dog endowed with agility. Then again, the persecuted Otter would frequently take refuge in its holt, which was also often located in a rocky environment, so, the dog required to enter this— and face such a considerable adversary—needed to be small (between fourteen and sixteen pounds), short legged, and, of course, possess a considerable amount of pluck!

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Posted by Alex on Nov 29 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.