The Sussex Spaniel

The Sussex is one of the oldest of the distinct breeds of Land Spaniels now existing in the British Isles, and probably also the purest in point of descent, since it has for many years been confined to a comparatively small number of kennels, the owners of which have always been at considerable pains to keep their strains free from any mixture of foreign blood.

The modern race of Sussex Spaniels, as we know it, owes its origin in the main to the large kennels kept by Mr. Fuller at Rosehill Park, Brightling, near Hastings. Sussex spaniels were originally bred as gundogs to work the thick heavy clay soil and dense gorse bushes of Sussex and West Kent in England (hence their name!).

This gentleman, who died in 1847, is said to have kept his strain for fifty years or more, and to have shot over them almost daily during the season. Upon his death they were dispersed by auction, and none of them can be traced with any accuracy except a dog and a bitch which were given at the time to Relf, the head keeper. Relf survived Mr Fuller for forty years, and kept up his interest in the breed to the last. He used to say that the golden tinge peculiar to the Rosehill breed came from a bitch which had been mated with a dog belonging to Dr. Watts, of Battle, and that every now and then what he termed a "sandy" pup would turn up in her litters.

Several enthusiasts began to revive the breed in or around 1870. Mr. Saxby and Mr. Marchant are said to have had the same strain as that at Rosehill, and certainly one of the most famous sires who is to be found in most Sussex pedigrees was Buckingham, by Marchant's Rover out of Saxby's Fan.

It was from the union of Buckingham, who was claimed to be pure Rosehill with Bebb's daughter (the same Bebb featured in cocker pedigrees) Peggie that the great Bachelor resulted, a dog whose name is to be found in almost every latter-day pedigree, though Mr. Campbell Newington's strain, to which has descended the historic prefix "Rosehill".

Around 1879 Mr. T. Jacobs, of Newton Abbot, took up this breed with great success, owning, amongst other good specimens, Russett, Dolly, Brunette, and Bachelor III., the latter a dog whose services at the stud cannot be estimated too highly. When this kennel was broken up in 1891, the best of the Sussex Spaniels were acquired by Mr. Woolland, and from that date this gentleman's kennel carried all before it until it in turn was broken up and dispersed in 1905. So successful was Mr. Woolland that one may almost say that he beat all other competitors off the field, though one of them, Mr. Campbell Newington, stuck most gallantly to him all through.

Mr. Campbell Newington had been breeding Sussex Spaniels for over a quarter of a century with an enthusiasm and tenacity worthy of the warmest admiration, and his strain is probably the purest, and more full of the original blood than any other. His kennel has always maintained a very high standard of excellence, and many famous show specimens have come from it, notably Rosehill Ruler II. (a splendid Sussex, scarcely inferior to Bridford Giddie), Romulus, Roein, Rita, Rush, Rock, Rag, and Ranji, and many others of almost equal merit.

Colonel Claude Cane's kennel of Sussex, started from a "Woolland-bred" foundations, the best he has shown being Jonathan Swift, Celbridge Eldorado, and Celbridge Chrysolite.

By the time of the Second World War there were few Sussex being bred from and it is thought that after the war only 5 Sussex Spaniels remained.

Fortunately the breed has had dedicated followers and in particular Miss Schofield who became Mrs Freer (Fourclovers), kept the breed going throughout the War Years. After that it was a long haul to get the numbers up again. Mrs Freer devoted her time and energy over a period of 60 years to breeding Sussex Spaniels.

The Sussex Spaniel Association was formed in 1924. The breed has always had a good character for work, and most of the older writers who mention them speak of Sussex Spaniels in very eulogistic terms. They are rather slow workers, but thoroughly conscientious and painstaking, and are not afraid of any amount of thick covert, through which they will force their way, and seldom leave anything behind them. The Sussex is an expert in tracking smells, once prey is found he barks to alert his master.

A well-bred Sussex Spaniel is a very handsome dog. Indeed, his beautiful colour alone is enough to make his appearance an attractive one, even if he appears unsymmetrical and ungainly in his proportions.

This colour, known as golden liver, is peculiar to the breed, and is the great touchstone and hall-mark of purity of blood. No other dog has exactly the same shade of coat, which the word "liver" hardly describes exactly, as it is totally different from the ordinary liver colour of a Pointer, or even a liver Field Spaniel. It is rather a golden chestnut with a regular metallic sheen as of burnished metal, showing more especially on the head and face and everywhere where the hair is short. This is very apparent when a dog gets his new coat.