Sunday, May 27, 2012

A Collie history continued

It's been a while since I continued my posts about the collie history. Though I haven't written anything recently, I have been researching, researching, researching!

So let's review what I have learned so far. As I have written in earlier posts, CH Christopher is the ancestor of all the present day collies. I have traced my own collies all the way back to CH Christopher by looking only at the sires of each generation. This is called the "tail male" line of a pedigree. But I believe the bitch lines are just as important in a pedigree and I will be exploring those lines as well, but first, we return to CH Christopher and his ancestors.

Old Cockie was one of the first real show collies. He was also the first collie to have the beautiful sable coat color. He was bred by Mr W. White, and he was whelped in 1868. We don't know Old Cockie's pedigree, so we are unsure where he inherited his sable color. He didn't produce any sons that contibuted to the development of the collie breed, but his daughters played an important role. Old Cockie had a successful show career, and he was sold in 1875 to Mr G. Dean Tomlinson. He was then sold again, to Mr J. Bissell. Old Cockie was of better collie type and quality than Trefoil. He had a longer head, better body and a thicker coat.

Trefoil was whelped in Ireland, in 1873. He was bred by Mr S.E. Shirley. He had two brothers called Tartan and Tricolour. Tricolour was obviously a tricolor collie, with black, white and tan markings. Tartan was just black and white. Like Old Cockie, Tricolour's contribution to the breed was not seen through his sons, but through his daughters. All the dogs in Trefoil's pedigree were black and tans, black and whites or blue merles. These were the original coat colors of the collie. Again, it wasn't until Old Cockie that the sable coat color was seen.

CH Charlemagne was produced by breeding Trefoil to Maude, a daughter of Old Cockie. He was whelped in 1879, in England. He was bred by Mr. J Bissell, who had purchased Old Cockie around 1875. Charlemagne had a sable and white coat, which he inherited from Old Cockie. He had a profuse coat, a good head and expression. Though compared to today's collies, his head was much shorter. Collies at this time, were also much smaller than the collies we see today. They would have looked somewhat similar to the Border collie.

CH Charlemagne was bred to CH Madge I, which produced Sefton. He was whelped in 1884, and he was a tricolor. Sefton was bred to Minnie and that breeding produced CH Metchley Wonder. Wonder was whelped in 1886, and was bred by Mr. C.H. Wheeler. He was a sable and white collie, and he was white factored. Which means he was able to produce white collies. CH Metchley Wonder was larger than the collies of his time. He also had a longer head, and was considered to be a great example of the collie breed. He was bred to Peggy II, and that breeding produced CH Christopher.

CH Christopher was whelped in 1887, in England. He was bred by Rev. Hans F. Hamilton. He was exported to Mr. Mitchell Harrison of Phildelphia, PA. Christopher was sable and white. He had a great head, beautiful expression and a thick, profuse coat. CH Christopher produced two sons who were key to the development of the American collie, Stracathro Ralph and Edgbaston Marvel.

Stracathro Ralph
\
Heather Ralph
\
Ormskirk Emerald
\
Ormskirk Galopin
\
Heacham Galopin
\
Wishaw Clinker
\
Balgreggie Baronet
\
Squire of Tytton
\
Seedley Squire
\
Seedley Superior
\
Clarksfield Superior
\
Tonge Admiration
\
Magnet

AND

Edbaston Marvel
\
Soutport Perfection
\
Wellesbourne Councillor
\
Wellesbourne Conqueror
\
Parbold Piccolo


THEN

.............Magnet produced these two sons
............./....................\
Laund Legislator........Poplar Perfection
.......\.......................\
Laund Luke..............Eden Emerald
.......\.......................\
Laund Leno..............El Capitaine of Arken
......\
Allsette Sande
.......\
Alsmot Aristocratic
.......\
Lodestone Landmark

AND
...........Parbold Piccolo produced these two sons
............./..................\
Parbold Pierrot.............Anfield Model
........\..........................\
Parbold Paganinni...........Master Willie
........\...........................\
Ormskirk Foxall.............Parbold Picador
.........\............................\
Parkside Pro Patria.........Laund Limit
..........\.............................\
Seedley Stirling............Laund Logic

It is through CH Christopher's son, CH Stracathro Ralph, that CH Magnet descends. Magnet was bred by J.R. Morley, and he was imported to America by Eileen Moretta of Glen Falls, NY.  Magent had a beautiful, refined head and a wealth of coat.  Before he was imported to the States, he sired CH Poplar Perfection.  Perfection was whelped in 1916, and he sired CH Eden Emerald.  Emerald was whelped in England, in 1921.  He was imported in 1923 by Mrs. Lunt of Alstead Kennels, located in Rahway, NJ.  Emerald was later sold to Dr Bennett of Tazewell Kennels.  Emerald was the sire of El Capitaine of Arken.  The Arken collies, descended from El Capitaine, played an important role in the progress of the American collie.

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