Lord Byron’s Dog
It is said that man’s best friends is his dog. Lord Byron certainly thought that about his
dog Boatswain, and he made sure that the dog would not be forgotten by erecting
an unusual monument outside his ancestral home, Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire. An urn, which contains the dogs remains,
surmounts the fine monument and an inscription reads :
“ Beauty without vanity, strength without insolence,
Courage without ferocity and all the virtues of man without his vices.”
Byron also wrote a lengthy ode to his dog which is
portrayed on the monument and finishes as follows :
“ Ye! Who perchance behold this simple urn,
Pass on – it honours none you wish to mourn.
To mark a Friend’s remains these stones arise.
I never knew but one – and here he lies. “
In his will of 1811, Byron
directed that he should be buried in the vault below the monument near to his
dog, but his wish was not fulfilled.
Boatswain's memorial
Greyfriars’ Bobby
When John Gray, an old Edinburgh character know as ‘ Auld
Jock ‘, died in 1858, he was buried in the churchyard of Greyfriars’ Church in
Edinburgh. His faithful dog ‘Bobby’,
was clearly devastated by his master’s death and stayed by his graveside for no
less than 14 years until his own death in 1872. Bobby has been immortalised in stone by a
very fine life-size statue which can be seen in the street near to the
churchyard entrance. A plaque reads :
“ A tribute to the affectionate fidelity of
Greyfriars’ Bobby.
In 1858 this fathful dog followed the
remains of his master to Greyfriars’ churchyard
And lingered near the spot until his death
in 1872.
With permission erected by the Baroness
Burdett-Couts. ‘
Bobby’s story has also
been immortalised in a book and a film.
Tip
Tip was a sheepdog that also
showed great loyalty and devotion to his master. Joseph Tagg was out walking with his dog on
Howden Moor in the Derbyshire Peak District on 12th December 1953 when he collapsed
and died. Although the body was not
found until 27th March following, Tip stayed at his masters side
during those harsh three months.
A memorial to remind us of this
loyalty and devotion can be seen near to Ashopton Viaduct, alongside Derwent
Reservoir.
Tip
Nigger
Nigger was the faithful black Labrador
dog who belonged to Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the leader of the immortal ‘ Dam
Busters ‘. The dog became Squadron
mascot and was a regular sight around RAF Scampton where they were training for
their historic raid. On the day before
the actual raid, Nigger ran out onto the road outside the station and was
killed by a passing car. Gibson
arranged for the dog to be buried in a grave outside the squadron briefing
rooms at midnight , whilst
the Lancaster
bombers were approaching their target.
The code word ‘ nigger ‘ was used to transmit a successful mission.
Nigger’s grave is still well
preserved in its original position at RAF Scampton.
Antis
In 1949 an Alsation dog called ‘Antis’ was awarded the Dickin Medal – the
animal V.C, by Field Marshal Lord Wavell at the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia
– the first non-British dog to win the award.
In making the presentation Lord Wavell said, “ This presentation is for outstanding courage, devotion to duty and life saving on several
occasions while serving with the Royal Air Force and the French Air Force from
1940 – 45 in England and overseas, and devotion to your master. You have been in action many times, and have
been wounded, and you have inspired others by your courage and steadfastness on
many occasions. “
Antis was a dog who received the Dickin Medal in 1949 from the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals for bravery in service in England and North Africa during the Second World War
Antis’ remarkable story unfolds in 1940 war-time France and
involves exiled Czechoslovakian airmen who joined, firstly the French Air Force
and then the Royal Air Force. Jan
Bozdech was one of the exiles who was unfortunate to be shot down in no man’s
land between the Maginot and Seigfried defence lines whilst serving as observer
and air gunner in a French Potez 63 aircraft on the morning of 12th February 1940 . Whilst taking cover in a bombed- out
farmhouse, Bozdech found a pitiful four-weeks old Alsatian puppy, the only
survivor of a litter and the mother dog.
Jan Bozdech had already rescued his wounded pilot from the aircraft and to cut a long story short, Jan managed
to get the pilot, and indeed the dog, to safety.
So began a long association between man and dog. Jan called the dog ‘Antis’ after the Czech
A.N.T bomber and took the dog with him through thick and thin as France
capitulated, via Gibraltar, after they had both survived twice being dumped in
the sea through enemy action, to England.
Jan joined the RAF and became part of a squadron of Czech airmen and
despite many clashes with bureaucracy, Antis remained at his side throughout
the war and indeed was twice wounded in action. In many wartime situations the dog proved
his worth, giving timely warnings of enemy attack, finding survivors after
bombing raids and so forth. At all time
the dog was devoted to his master to the exclusion of all others. Finally the war was over and the exiles
were able to return to their native Czechoslovakia .
Jan and Antis soon settled into family life in Prague . A wife and son
then completed the family giving Antis a
fresh responsibility and an apparent rosy future. Jan, now a Captain in the Czech Airforce
working in the Ministry of Defence, published three books about the war and
their experiences and both he and Antis became public figures. Unfortunately their happiness was not to
last, life under the Communist regime
was not as relaxed as it might be and soon Jan was high on the purge list,
finally being left with no option but to flee the country. Assisted by patriots he and another man were
transported to an area near to the border with West Germany where a patriotic
forester was to attempt to lead them across the border. The man was dismayed to find that Jan was
accompanied by Antis but when Jan refused to continue without his dog, the man
acceded. The crossing was anything but
smooth with Antis having to rescue both Jan’s companions from a fast flowing
river and providing warmth for all three men, as well as detecting enemy
patrols and actually tackling a border guard who was about to shoot them.
Jan subsequently made it back to England , but on
this occasion was obliged to allow Antis to be quarantined for six months. Jan was able to rejoin the RAF with Antis as
his constant companion until 1953 when Antis, who was then more than 13 years
old with failing sight, had to be put down.
The dog was buried in the Animal
Cemetery at Ilford, where
a very fine memorial marks his grave.
The full exploits of Jan and Antis are outlined in a book,
‘One man and his dog’, published by Harrap in 1960 under the authorship of
Anthony Richardson.
Ebony
During 1992 –1993, major remodelling work took place in
the centre of Birmingham
as part of that city’s efforts to make their centre more environmentally
friendly. In that they undoubtedly
succeeded and it is well worth seeing.
One of the sub-contractors employed on the paving works in Victoria Square
brought his black Labrador dog, Ebony, to the
site nearly every day and over the months the dog became a familiar sight in
the area, being easily visible with its ‘dayglow’ bright green vest which the
owner put on it for safety reasons. The
dog became a friends to the many office workers and visitors to the area.
Towards the end of the contract and whilst plans were
being made for Diana, Princess of Wales to rededicate the Square, it was decided
to remember Ebony and her paw print was implanted in the pavement near to the
Council House as a lasting memorial.
Ebony was also presented to the Princess on the opening day.
Ebony
Beddgelert
Llywelyn was Prince of North
Wales back in the 13th century and he had a palace in a lovely
valley not far from Caernarfon. One day
the Prince went hunting leaving his faithful dog, Gelert, to guard his baby
son. When he returned the dog, covered
in blood, sprang to meet his master.
The Prince was alarmed and when he found his son’s cot empty with
bloodstains everywhere he assumed that the dog had savaged the child. He promptly killed the dog with his
sword. He then heard a child crying and
found the boy unharmed but nearby lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert
had slain. The Prince buried the dog
nearby and the village, near to the stone which marks the grave, is called
Beddgelert.
Wallet and Dart
Two greyhounds who were drowned are remembered by a
gravestone situated high on the moors above Halifax at Cold Edge near Mount Tabor . The stone, which is situated at the front of
the former Withens Hotel, bear the epitaph :
‘Here lie the remains of Wallet and Dart
Who in their last race made a capital start
But their owners lamented, they never got
through it
For alas they were drowned in Thornton Conduit’.
Wallet & Dart stone
Romany
The naturalist and broadcaster who used the name ‘Romany’
back in the 1930’s and 40’s was in fact a retired Methodist Minister, The Rev.
George Bramwell Evens. Apparently his
mother Tilly Smith was of gypsy stock.
Evens died in 1943 and his ‘vardo’ or caravan, was restored and is
preserved as a memorial to him in Parkway at Wilmslow in Cheshire .
Romany’s famous dog, Raq, died in 1947 and is buried in a memorial
garden alongside the caravan.
Raq's grave
The Smoking Dog
Inn
The inn sign at The
Smoking Dog Inn at
Malmesbury in Wiltshire depicts a dog smoking a pipe! So what is it all about? Apparently the inn was so named after the
owners of the building found a picture of the smoking dog in the cellar, which really makes us non the wiser as to why the dog was smoking a pipe!
1 comment:
Very good website, thank you.
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