Greats from the Past – John James Holgate

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From the archives of The Canine Chronicle, April, 2014

by Amy Fernandez

Britain was the nucleus of the modern dog world, but most of the breeds that propelled its success had strictly working class roots. Moreover, a very small group was primarily responsible for their advancement. Largely forgotten today, John James Holgate, known as Jack, ranked among the dog world’s major stars a century ago. His ascendancy in the game typified the British experts who redefined the dog world.

Writing in 1920, Holgate’s longtime friend Freeman Lloyd said, “Southboro has at one time or another appeared in every studbook where well-bred dogs are appreciated.” Best remembered for his Southboro kennel, Jack was also one of the earliest show reporters and an internationally popular judge.

His introduction to dogs came via his father who bred Gundogs and Greyhounds long before shows brought new cachet to these breeds. He gave Jack his first dog, a Bull Terrier. Although the breed’s popularity plummeted after cropping was prohibited, Jack’s loyalty to the breed never wavered. Throughout his life, he was never without one.

He grew up in Surbiton, in southwest London. Now considered the archetypal suburb, it claimed that distinction long before the concept entered popular culture. After railways arrived in the 1830s, Surbiton blossomed. Its accessibility, ample space, and long tradition of raising animals made it ideal for the dog business. Like his father, Jack established a kennel, but he longed for life beyond suburbia.

Back then, Yorkshire was the cutting edge of England’s dog world. He eventually sold his business and relocated to Southboro House, Doncaster, taking the name as his prefix. Like many, Jack was lured by Doncaster’s longstanding reputation for excitement, which dated back to 1776 when its famed St. Leger races began attracting legions of horse racing fans. It included elite sportsmen, working class experts, and cagey grifters – a curious assortment that foreshadowed Britain’s nineteenth century dog world.

Yorkshire’s lively pace morphed from seasonal to continuous in the 19th century when its thriving textile, steel, and mining industries attracted waves of workers. This transplanted labor force arrived with long traditions of breeding and dog sports. In 1904 Herbert Compton acknowledged their unprecedented contribution in The Twentieth Century Dog, “The dog world owes much to that triangle between the Mersey, the Humber, and the Tyne. Therein dwell a hardy race of sportsmen that has given us many contributions to our canine classification, for instance, the Airedale, Bedlington, Manchester, Yorkshire, and White English Terrier.”

By mid-century, Yorkshire was a hotbed of dog knowledge. The inauguration of shows provided the ideal platform to share it with legions of novices entering the sport. Social changes of the era also ensured widespread participation from all economic classes. In 1871, England’s Bank Holiday Act gave workers their first paid holidays. By the 1890s, the typical workweek ended at noon Saturday. The dog show weekend commenced.

Like most of his contemporaries, Jack showed his own dogs. Formal shows were something new but Britain’s dog world had deep roots. Every breed from fancy dogs to pit dogs could be procured at markets like Club Row in Bethnal Green.

These crowded, ramshackle hives of commerce were a ubiquitous feature of nineteenth century life. Every imaginable commodity from engine parts to imported lace, sausage rolls, and live animals were sold along their rambling labyrinths of narrow courts and alleys. Norman Hankinson described northern England’s wild and woolly dog markets as “a great gathering place for dog men” in the December 1939 AKC Gazette. “On the other side of the game lay the Tibb Street dog market of Manchester where dog peddlers paid the city a fee for standing space.” To outsiders, this was chaotic, intimidating territory. And a bad dog deal was far from the worst possible outcome.

Jack established his reputation in the mainstay of British breeds, Bulldogs. He had an inside track on the best stock, which generally came from London’s dodgy East End. Jack’s main source was an ancient dealer known as Peggy… thanks to his distinctive wooden leg. He brokered Peggy’s Bulldogs to celebrity clients from every social sector like noted judge Freeman Lloyd and the era’s best selling pulp fiction author, Guy Boothby.

But the big money was in Fox Terriers and Jack’s first big success came with the sale of Devereux to Frances Redmond’s Totteridge kennel. Other notable Southboro Smooths included Cowley Premier and Cowley Palm. In Wires, he’s best remembered for the top producing stud, Ch. Southboro Salex. He didn’t limit his interests. He also bred and brokered Clumbers, Retrievers, Irish Water Spaniels, and Irish Terriers, but Sighthounds were Jack’s passion, especially Whippets.

“The Whippet, as a piece of canine art, is the creation of the working man,” Compton ironically noted. “To the miners and mill hands of the north – we owe this dainty design.” By the late 19th century, the Whippet or Snap Dog was tremendously popular in England, but several factors impeded its acceptance as a show dog. Hankinson described a primary obstacle, “On the same side of the game as the Tibb Street market, but in a different field, were the followers of racing Whippets. Most were miners, a brutal crew… dog betting was their passion and drinking was their joy… they cared only for running Whippets,” adding that, “good show dogs could be bought from them cheap.” That was true, but the Whippet world was no place for dilettantes.

Jack possessed the street cred and dog knowledge to bridge that gap. Brokers like him were instrumental in establishing these breeds as modern show dogs. However, it’s also fair to say that they weren’t motivated by altruistic desires. They simply utilized an opportunity to translate their hard won dog knowledge into cold cash – and have great fun in the process. And Jack definitely loved the Whippet game.

In the Whippet Handbook, Lewis Renwick said, “In 1898 Mr. John Holgate was a power in the dog world, and his Southboro prefix probably the best known in the country. Holgate was a magnificent judge, many of us who knew him believe he was the best ever. Whippets were one of his favorites and he did a great deal of winning with many. I think the best was the lovely Ch. Signorina whom he exhibited for his daughter.” Another Southboro Whippet, Seniority, arrived in America as a veteran and subsequently did big winning.

Jack also cultivated a sideline in journalism at the invitation of his lifelong friend, Theodore Marples, founding editor of Our Dogs.

Marples started in Fox Terriers in 1873. He eventually showed Smooth Collies, Dachshunds, Field Spaniels, Japanese Chins, and Poms. Along the way, he also became a popular international judge and pioneered the new genre of “fancier journalism”. He worked for most of the era’s dog publications including the Field, the Stockeeper, and Canine World before launching his first venture, British Fancier. It became the springboard for Our Dogs.

Jack was one of many authorities he recruited to write for his new weekly. Along with show reports, Jack regularly contributed incendiary editorials that quickly became the mainstay of the dog press. Usually written by major players in the dog world, for obvious reasons, they were published under pen names known only to the editors. For instance, some of the most vitriolic commentary came from James Watson’s pen under the name of “Porcupine”. Unfortunately, Jack neglected to sign his first submission. An enterprising editorial assistant took care of that by arbitrarily assigning one. Throughout Jack’s journalistic career he wrote under the triumphant, but decidedly feminine guise of “Victrix”. His insightful, plainspoken observations provide a candid glimpse of the evolving dog scene, as well as western society’s introduction to commercialized international travel. And Jack certainly traveled!

His writing quickly earned fans. Judging invitations soon followed – along with some awkward moments when his gender was revealed. That complication didn’t hinder his subsequent thirty year career. No rules yet prohibited judges from buying/selling/brokering/exhibiting, and it became customary to combine these activities. One of Jack’s early assignments in Amsterdam produced his first windfall. He exhibited Dart, a Greyhound he’d recently found in Redruth, Cornwall. A washout at the track, Jack thought he had potential as a showdog and purchased him for a bargain price. He didn’t overthink the deal when entering his new acquisition at the next show he was scheduled to judge. In the catalog Dart was listed for an outlandish price of $500 – over $20,000 today. Although this was an unknown, unshown dog, he was immediately claimed by Baron J.D. Crawhei who successfully campaigned him throughout Europe.

Today, brokering is considered a rather disreputable, unethical aspect of the dog world. That perception is the polar opposite of the business a century ago. These middlemen were indispensable. They discovered quality specimens, procured them at fair prices, matched them with the right buyers, and often handled them at shows. And no one did it better than George Steadman Thomas

His American projects included setting up Vickery Kennel for Mrs. A.V. Crawford and her nephew Charles Perrin in 1912, and stocking F.H. Farwell’s Sabine kennel that literally rose from the ashes overnight. A few notable Endcliffe imports included Ch. Wireboy of Paington, Ch. Meersbrook Bristles, and Ch. Sabine Result.

Between 1890 and 1925 Thomas imported over 3600 dogs, including at least 2500 Fox Terriers. He is credited with establishing 34 different breeds in America. He was a Type-A personality with unrivaled management skills and stamina to spare, but he wasn’t the first Brit to stake a claim in this unique business.

George Raper led the pack, as Hankinson acknowledged in his retrospective, “It was Raper the Irrepressible who, at 60 and close to his decline, could calmly lean against the rough wooden counter of the Secretary’s booth at the Crystal Palace show and bidding against George Thomas to settle a grudge, quietly bid on a Wire cataloged at 50 pounds and run the price of up to 470 before Thomas dropped out of the bidding.” Along with Jack, Raper pioneered this specialized niche that grew exponentially as breeds evolved and new ones debuted. “Jack Holgate, first of Suburton and later Doncaster, owner of the Southboro prefix, and the only all-rounder and dealer in the same class as George Raper.”

Like Raper and Thomas, Jack’s success as a broker led to a stellar judging career. He grew accustomed to meeting royalty and rolling with the fanfare and awkward moments. And those occurred frequently during an era when few rules and protocols inhibited the action. Countless German clubs sponsored every conceivable type of show – largely run by inexperienced judges, exhibitors, and committees. Possibly Jack’s strangest judging experience took place at the German Fox Terrier Club’s Leipzig show. His tentative choice in Open was far superior to the rest of the class, except for something slightly odd about his expression. During a final cursory examination, he discovered the problem. The dog had a glass eye. He later reported, “I gave the one-eyed gunner third never minding his eye.”

He judged in Kimberly, South Africa at the invitation of De Beers. Naturally, his gift was a large diamond. However, nothing prepared him for his assignment in Moscow during Imperial Russia’s last gasp of decadence. These week-long shows drew enormous entries. He soon understood why. Finalists in each class received gold and silver medals worth approximately $600-$800 each. Breed and Opposite were awarded solid gold trophies worth about $2000. The show committee didn’t skimp on hospitality either. Along with banquets and magnificent accommodations, judges were treated to a week of wolf hunting, entertainment he called “emperor-like”.

But nothing rivaled his thank you at the Ostend show following his evaluation of a very unique class dubbed “Lady Exhibitors”. Sort of a combination handling/beauty contest, he was instructed to give equal consideration to dogs and handlers, especially their costume and physical appeal. To emphasize this aspect of the competition, the rules noted that winners should embrace and kiss the judge.

The onset of WWI didn’t slow his pace. In 1914, he judged at Lille in June, Belgium in July, and Cambridge on August. Twice, his ship was torpedoed, necessitating sea rescues on his way to European shows. Another time, German troops captured his ship in the North Sea. It was recaptured by a British destroyer and he made it to the show. On Armistice Day, Jack was judging at Sheffield.

But he missed one assignment, which he always regretted. Invited to judge at Westminster in 1918, once again his ship, the Livonia, was torpedoed by a German U boat. Rescued and returned to Liverpool, he tried unsuccessfully to book passage on another ship.

A single experience of that nature would have deterred many people from overseas adventures, but not Jack. Two years later he was back in America. He eventually judged from coast to coast, but that trip was particularly short and memorable. A Fox Terrier clique had lobbied for his assignment at the Los Angeles Kennel Club. They entertained him in high style and trotted out their best stuff, expecting good return on their investment from this noted Terrier authority. Of course, they had also paid for a forthright, honest assessment, which they got. It’s fair to say that Jack’s BIS winner was a longshot. His choice for BIS was an Eskimo Dog, which he compared to, “a magnificent Cardigan Cob with legs and feet that put many of the best fox terriers to shame.”

It’s fair to say that the boy who dreamed of escaping the suburbs enjoyed a life that exceeded his wildest expectations. The dog game took him all over the world. It became the source of friendships that transcended every geographic and social barrier. Jack’s friends included royalty and millionaires, as well as a full complement of characters at the other end of the spectrum – back when the sporting world and the underworld were practically synonymous.

Although that colorful era is long gone, the dog world still opens doors to unanticipated friendships and experiences that never fail to enrich our lives.

From the archives of The Canine Chronicle, April, 2014

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