Kathleen, Duchess of Newcastle
Encyclopedia
Kathleen Florence May, Duchess of Newcastle OBE
, (1872 - 1 June 1955) was a well known conformation show
judge and dog breeder who influenced the Borzoi
and Wire Fox Terrier breeds. She became Duchess of Newcastle-under-Lyne in 1899, following her marriage to Henry Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
.
, in 1899, with whom she shared several common interests. Both were interested in animals, with horses and dogs being their favourites. Prior to the marriage, Kathleen was already a judge and dog show exhibitor, primarily of Fox Terriers. The Duke knew of the Duchess's knowledge of dogs, and when a dealer attempted to sell him a spaniel he once said "It would not suit me to do that. Her Grace knows the market value just a bit too well to suit my fancy."
, being the "most popular of her sex" apart from Queen Alexandra
. The book itself was dedicated to the Duchess, with an image of her as the frontispiece
. The Duchess was involved in the breeding of several different dog breeds, including Borzoi
s, Fox Terrier
s (both Smooth and Wire), Whippet
s, Scottish Deerhound
s and Clumber Spaniel
s; the breed named after the ancestral home
of the Dukes of Newcastle
. She was a well known conformation show judge of the breeds she was involved with.
The Duchess was first introduced to dogs when her mother was given a Borzoi named Spain as a gift from the Spanish Marquis of Quandelmina. With no quarantine
laws in the United Kingdom at the time, and with sufficient funds, she was able to build up a kennel of imported dogs, with the last dog imported before the quarantine started being Ch. Tsaretsa. Sixteen of Tsar
Nicholas II of Russia
's Borzois were brought to England to participate in Crufts
in 1892, and although they were described as "badly constructed", the Duchess purchased Oudar, thought to be the best of the lot, for £200, a sum equivalent to £19,818 in 2010.
She bred eight Borzoi champions and owned a further five. These included the Russian-bred Ch. Milka, who was the first bitch champion of the breed, and the first British bitch champion, Ch. Vikhra. Her dog Ch. Tsaretsa won 17 CCs, a record held until World War I
. Ch. Tsaretsa was bred to Ch. Velsk, producing three champion dogs in a single litter. Her dog Ch. Podar of Notts was one of the most influential Borzois of all time, and the majority of modern dogs of the breed can be traced back to him in some way.
She became President of the Wire Fox Terrier Association between 1916 and 1919, remaining a member for the rest of her life. The Association considers her "of Notts" strain to be the foundation strain of the modern Wire Fox Terrier. The Duchess wrote of her work in breeding the Wire Fox Terrier, and this was published in 1928. Between 1900 and 1923, the Duchess bred twelve Wire Fox Terrier champions, the first being the highly influential Ch. Cackler of Notts who is considered to be an ancestor of every Wire Fox Terrier in the world. She judged the Best in Show class for the National Terrier Show in 1948, selecting the Wire Fox Terrier Ch. Arley Miss Quality as the winner. She also bred nine Smooth Fox Terriers, and purchased another two.
, including an oil on canvas painting of a Borzoi by William Frank Calderon
. She left her show dogs to her kennel man and her house dogs to her maid.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (1872 - 1 June 1955) was a well known conformation show
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
judge and dog breeder who influenced the Borzoi
Borzoi
The borzoi is a breed of domestic dog also called the Russian wolfhound and descended from dogs brought to Russia from central Asian countries. It is similar in shape to a greyhound, and is also a member of the sighthound family.The system by which Russians over the ages named their sighthounds...
and Wire Fox Terrier breeds. She became Duchess of Newcastle-under-Lyne in 1899, following her marriage to Henry Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Henry Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Henry Pelham Archibald Douglas Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyme was an English nobleman, styled Earl of Lincoln until 1879.Henry was educated at Eton College and then Magdalen College, Oxford....
.
Early life
Born in 1872, the future Duchess was the daughter of Major Henry Augustus Candy by his marriage to Frances Kathleen Westenra, the daughter of Henry Robert Westenra, 3rd Baron Rossmore.Marriage: Duchess of Newcastle
She married Henry Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle-under-LyneHenry Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Henry Pelham Archibald Douglas Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyme was an English nobleman, styled Earl of Lincoln until 1879.Henry was educated at Eton College and then Magdalen College, Oxford....
, in 1899, with whom she shared several common interests. Both were interested in animals, with horses and dogs being their favourites. Prior to the marriage, Kathleen was already a judge and dog show exhibitor, primarily of Fox Terriers. The Duke knew of the Duchess's knowledge of dogs, and when a dealer attempted to sell him a spaniel he once said "It would not suit me to do that. Her Grace knows the market value just a bit too well to suit my fancy."
Dogs and kennels
Charles Henry Lane wrote in his 1902 work Dog Shows and Doggy People of the popularity of the Duchess of Newcastle amongst those involved in dog showsConformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
, being the "most popular of her sex" apart from Queen Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
. The book itself was dedicated to the Duchess, with an image of her as the frontispiece
Book frontispiece
A frontispiece is a decorative illustration facing a book's title page. The frontispiece is the verso opposite the recto title page. Elaborate engraved frontispieces were in frequent use, especially in Bibles and in scholarly books, and many are masterpieces of engraving...
. The Duchess was involved in the breeding of several different dog breeds, including Borzoi
Borzoi
The borzoi is a breed of domestic dog also called the Russian wolfhound and descended from dogs brought to Russia from central Asian countries. It is similar in shape to a greyhound, and is also a member of the sighthound family.The system by which Russians over the ages named their sighthounds...
s, Fox Terrier
Fox Terrier
Fox Terrier refers primarily to two different breeds of the terrier dog type: the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier. Both of these breeds originated in the 19th century from a handful of dogs who are descended from earlier varieties of British terriers, and are related to other modern...
s (both Smooth and Wire), Whippet
Whippet
The Whippet is a breed of dog in the sighthound family. They are active and playful and are physically similar to a small Greyhound.- Description :...
s, Scottish Deerhound
Scottish Deerhound
The Scottish Deerhound, or simply the Deerhound, is a breed of hound , once bred to hunt the Red Deer by coursing.- Appearance :The Scottish Deerhound resembles a rough-coated Greyhound. It is however, larger in size and bone...
s and Clumber Spaniel
Clumber Spaniel
The Clumber Spaniel is a breed of dog of the spaniel type, developed in the United Kingdom. It is the largest of the spaniels, and comes in predominantly one colour. The name of the breed is taken from Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. It is a gundog that specialises in hunting in heavy cover. They...
s; the breed named after the ancestral home
Clumber Park
Clumber Park is a country park in the Dukeries near Worksop in Nottinghamshire, England. It was the seat of the Pelham-Clintons, Dukes of Newcastle.It is owned by the National Trust and open to the public.-History:...
of the Dukes of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title which has been created three times in British history while the title of Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne has been created once. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 when William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
. She was a well known conformation show judge of the breeds she was involved with.
The Duchess was first introduced to dogs when her mother was given a Borzoi named Spain as a gift from the Spanish Marquis of Quandelmina. With no quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
laws in the United Kingdom at the time, and with sufficient funds, she was able to build up a kennel of imported dogs, with the last dog imported before the quarantine started being Ch. Tsaretsa. Sixteen of Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
's Borzois were brought to England to participate in Crufts
Crufts
Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club, currently held every March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. It is the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by Guinness World Records, and lasts...
in 1892, and although they were described as "badly constructed", the Duchess purchased Oudar, thought to be the best of the lot, for £200, a sum equivalent to £19,818 in 2010.
She bred eight Borzoi champions and owned a further five. These included the Russian-bred Ch. Milka, who was the first bitch champion of the breed, and the first British bitch champion, Ch. Vikhra. Her dog Ch. Tsaretsa won 17 CCs, a record held until World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Ch. Tsaretsa was bred to Ch. Velsk, producing three champion dogs in a single litter. Her dog Ch. Podar of Notts was one of the most influential Borzois of all time, and the majority of modern dogs of the breed can be traced back to him in some way.
She became President of the Wire Fox Terrier Association between 1916 and 1919, remaining a member for the rest of her life. The Association considers her "of Notts" strain to be the foundation strain of the modern Wire Fox Terrier. The Duchess wrote of her work in breeding the Wire Fox Terrier, and this was published in 1928. Between 1900 and 1923, the Duchess bred twelve Wire Fox Terrier champions, the first being the highly influential Ch. Cackler of Notts who is considered to be an ancestor of every Wire Fox Terrier in the world. She judged the Best in Show class for the National Terrier Show in 1948, selecting the Wire Fox Terrier Ch. Arley Miss Quality as the winner. She also bred nine Smooth Fox Terriers, and purchased another two.
Later life and death
Upon her death in 1955, the Duchess bequeathed a variety of cups and paintings to The Kennel ClubThe Kennel Club
The Kennel Club is a kennel club based in London and Aylesbury, United Kingdom.The Kennel Club registration system divides dogs into seven breed groups. The Kennel Club Groups are: Hound, Working, Terrier, Gundog, Pastoral, Utility and Toy...
, including an oil on canvas painting of a Borzoi by William Frank Calderon
William Frank Calderon
William Frank Calderon aka W. Frank Calderon , was an English Victorian painter of portraits, landscapes, figure subjects and sporting pictures...
. She left her show dogs to her kennel man and her house dogs to her maid.