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The breed in Great Britain
Bouboule and Marquis de Carabas Mrs. mabel Parker-Rhodes
History does not relate what happened to the first British importation, the winner of 1880, imported by Mr. Marchison. The dog no doubt had a name,, but it has never been divulged, and it has been impossible to trace him in the Kennel Club Stud Books. Numbers of "Griffons" entered under "Foreign Dogs" in the earlier books had German names, and obviously had nothing to do with the Belgian variety.
The first authenticated importations were four, which appear in 1896 Stud Book, Fox and Bijou bred by the Duke of Flanders, Princess Helene, and Monsieur Kiki. Fox was by Ch Fox, and Bijou by Tony, son of the first Tom. Monsieur Kiki and Princess Helene were entered "al details unknown". Monsieur Kiki was imported by Mr. Butt,, the others by Mrs Kingscote, in 1894. All were under the heading of "Foreign Dogs".
In the next Stud Book, 1897 (A) there were eleven entries, most of them exhibits brought over by Mons. Devoghel, for exhibition at Crufts. These were: Carnot, Joujou, Jules, Kiki, Porthos, Spiroux, Tom, and the bitches Bebelle and Mira. The remaining pair of bitches were Mirza, owned by Mr. Butt, and Ninon, owned by Mrs. F. Pearce. Of these dogs, Joujou was bought by the Hon. Mrs McLaren Morrison and remained in this country, as did Bebelle and Mira. Mirza became the foundation bitch of Family 8, and was the dam of Ch Nougat, from which dog our modern branch of Line A descend, the latest entries in the Line being only 11 generations removed from Mirza, covering a period of nearly 60 years! Porthos may have remained in England, as a son, Sapristi, appears in the 1899 Stud Book, the first British bred winner. The rest probably returned to Belgium.
The 1898 Stud Book "B" included Charles, property of Mons. Polfliet; Milord, Quinquish, romeo and the bitches Mouche, Petit Dora, and Princess Quinquish, all imported. Miss A. Gordon was the owner of Milord and Mouche, Mrs. Dresser owned the Quinquish pair, and Mrs. Pearce, already the owner of Ninon, now owned Petit Dora. Mouche was the foundation bitch of Family 2, which produced three champions to 1900, and then suddenly, after a lapse of 56 years, produced a champion in 1956!
Until the 1898 Book, all Griffon entries had been entered in the "Foreign Dog" section, but in that year a separate register was granted for the breed, so the next Book, 1899 (C), we first get the heading "Griffons Bruxellois". In this book, Besides the aforementioned Sapristi, first appeared Bruno and Mousquetaire Rouge, destined to become the first and second British champions. Miss Wimbush owned Bruno, and Mrs. Moseley, Mousquetaire.
In the 1900 Book “D”, we see Miss Feilding´s name for the first time, the beginning of one of the leading kennels of the early years, and another who was to own one of the first big kennels appeared in the same Book, Miss Howard. In the 1901 Book "E", appeared the first Copthorne, a prefix which was to dominate the breed for the next twenty years, that of Mrs. (later Lady) Handley Spicer. Mrs. Whaley's famous Glenartneys first appear in 1903. Miss A.J. Jonhson's Sunnymede prefix was not registered till some years later, but dogs under her name appear in the Stud Books from 1904. Miss Hall´s famous Park Place bitches appear about the same time.
These four kennels, Copthorne, Glenartney, Sunnymede and Park Place, undoubtedly led the field for the first decade, Park Place dropping out during the 1914-18 war, and the others continuing till well into the twenties. Their owners imported literally dozens of dogs from Belgium, and it can safely be said that Mrs. Spicer did more for the breed than anyone else in its history.
Towards the end of the first decade, three famous kennels came into existence, Castlehaven (Miss Plunket), Causeway (Mrs. Sansbury) and St Margaret (Mrs. Charters). The first named continued among the leading kennels for the next thirty years, only coming to an end during the second world war. One of the two surviving male Lines, "A", comes down to us through a line of Castlehaven champions, and one of the leading Families spring from a Castlehaven bitch.
Causeway was well to the fore in the twenties and into the early thirties; Mrs. Charters, after a brilliant period in Griffons, turned her attention in the twenties to Sealyhams. Yet one more kennel which was become world-famous in the inter-war years, had started by 1910, the Patridge Hill kennels of Parker- Rhodes and Mrs. Pepers, and two others starting before the first war and continuing till after the second were Vulcan (the Hon. Mrs. Ionides) and d'Ecosse (Mrs. Rollo Stewart).
After the 1914-18 war, names springing to fame were Rippingdon (Miss Croucher), De Mons (Mrs. Glendower Croft), Clifton Wood (Mrs. Richardson), Austral (Mrs. Powell), Doreens (Miss Caughie) Babbacombe (Miss Clay) and last but not least Glendwood (Mrs. Barwell). From a line of Glenwood champions, linked by a single Babbacombe dog, the leading modern male line "B" has come. Other kennels of the twenties and thirties were Joyvalley (Mrs. Lennon, in Ireland), Johnsfield (Mr& Mrs. Cockburn), Meadowlands (Miss Fyson), Gerrards (Mrs. Thomas), Hilladene (Mrs. Dennis), Irton (Mrs. Clliff, a kennel which continued welll into the fifties), Lalarookh (Mrs. Bridle) and Lavenderway (Mrs. Mitchell). The last name sprang directly from a Copthorne bitch, so it was really a continuation of that great kennel. Many of these kennels though started in the twenties were pre-eminently kennels of the thirties, and during the ten years up to 1939, the breed was dominated by Castlehaven, Partrige Hill, Glenwood and Lavenderway.
One other breeder that started in the thirties and had achived considerable success by 1939, Miss Gunell (now Mrs. Street) and her Skibbereens have dominated the breed since 1945.
During the war years, Griffons owe much to a few ladies who kept the breed going by breeding in a small way, notably Mrs. Parker-Rhodes, Mrs. Ionides, Mrs. Bridle and Mrs. Osbert Eyre (Barentha).
Since 1945, numerous new names have appeared, and with the exception of the aforementioned Skibbereen kennel, it would be invidious to attemp to classify them as "leading" kennels or otherwise. For the record, however, some of the more prominent names during the last fifteen years have been: Ruskington (Mrs. Clarke-Black), Toymore (the late Mrs. O.M. Lewis) Shelvey (Miss A. Tyler), Litahni (Miss Gorringe), Campfield (Mrs. Scholfield) Bowerhinton (Mrs. Fearfield), Edinample (Mrs Watters Macrae), Molach (Miss Stuart), Tunlake (Miss Deck), Beachart (Mrs. Holland Gaunt), Gregtoi (the Misses Gregory), Barratelle (Miss Barter), Enavant (Miss Forwood), Nitsua (Mrs. Fletcher Austin), Wynworth (Mrs. Winner) and Seagry (my own). So much for famous kennels and breeders. Now for the growth of the breed
The Griffon Bruxellois Club was founded in 1898, the year a separate Register was granted for the breed by the Kennel Club. Miss A. Gordon was the first Secretary, and the first separate Club Show was held in 1913. A rival Club was started in the early 1900´s, but did not long survive, and shortly before the first war a Club was founded for the fostering of blacks. Gradually, as blacks came to be recognised and were admitted in open competition with reds, a special Club was no longer necessary, and this Club was given up in due course. The original Club is still going strong, and such has been the interest in the breed since 1945, that two more Clubs have been formed: the Northern and the Scottish Griffon Bruxellois Clubs, and all three flourish in their respective spheres today.
The table of registrations which appears at the end of this chapter, gives a very clear picture of the growth of the breed.
This figures show a slow and steady rise to popularity, with a marked increase of interest in the 1950's and interesting to note that after both wars, the breed has steadily returned to its pre-war position. Both wars were the cause of the dropping out of famous kennels, though in both cases a few of the old ones survived to start the next generation of dogs and breeders, but curiously enough though breeding was actually stopped in the first war, this did not cause the decimation of the breed which occurred in the second, that is, in 1919, there was found to be far more of the old breeding stock left than there was in 1945. Quality suffered in both cases, but by dint of careful and thoughtful breeding, the breed has each time grown gradually back to its original high standard.
The astonishing thing about the breed is the speed with which type was established. If it did not exist before 1880, it is amazing that by 1885, the breeding was true to type. Considering the known crosses which took place everywhere in Belgium during the nest decade, it is even more astounding that, a few odd dogs having come to this country in 1894, and a handful during the next years, the breed was completely established in Great Britain by 1904. Dogs bred during the next few years would without doubt win in the ring today, and this is an extraordinary feat when one looks at winning dogs of the other breeds of the same period who would certainly not be looked at in 1960!
The interest in Griffons has always been a steady one. Thought booms have been predicted from time to time, they have never materialised, more spectacular breeds have caught the public fancy. And this may have proved a blessing in disguise, the breed has never been spoild as so many have been by a sudden inrush of breeders only seeking to "cash-in" on a wave of popularity, with no knowledge of the breed, and without having its good really at heart. Let us hope a boom never comes our way!
Our Griffons have, however, come much more into prominence during the 1950's, specially among the dog showing public, largely due to the BIS and Group wins of the great Ch Skibbereen Victor of Campfield, and one or two more. More recently the breed has became known to a wider public owing to the frequent appearances in the TV series "The Good Companions" of Mr. Stanley Dangerfield´s Brabançon bitch, Tazzie, who has now become a "TV personality" in her own right!
Griffons are now well and truly in public eye, and win well in variety classes, which they seldom did in the early days. A special feature of the present period is the number of famous exhibitors of others breeds, whose prefixes are household names in the doggy world, who keep a Griffon as the special house pet. Proof indeed, if any is needed, of the breed´s outstanding and endearing qualities, which have given it the well earned sobriquet of "The Connoisseurs' Breed".
