40 BRITISH DOGS 



of the pioneers of the breed, became of no value. The St. Bernard, 

 however, still held supremacy in the Dog World, and a second club 

 was formed in its interests in 1893 by a few Northern fanciers, 

 because at that time the most prominent exhibitors resided in the 

 North of England. 



At that period the foremost breeders and exhibitors of the 

 St. Bernard were Messrs. Smith & Baker, Leeds ; the late Mr. 

 Shillcock, Birmingham ; J. F. Smith, Sheffield ; Joseph Royle, 

 Manchester; Captain Hargreaves, South port; Messrs. W. S. Clarke, 

 Wishaw, N.B. ; J. Storey, Durham ; William Hamlyn, Devonshire, 

 and others. 



Since the first introduction of the St. Bernard into England, 

 its most enthusiastic admirers have been found amongst women, 

 Miss Hales and Miss Aglionby following close upon the Rev. J. C. 

 Macdona with their imported specimens Hermit and Hilda. Since, 

 women have bred and owned the best, notably Mrs. Jagger, Mrs. 

 Hannay, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Semple, Mrs. Spencer, Misses Waller, 

 Mrs. Steele, Miss Browne, and others. 



The most noted St. Bernard between 1890 and 1900 was Sir 

 Bedivere. He was followed by Mr. Shillcock's Champions Plin- 

 limmon, Lord Bute, Duke of Maplecroft, and Princess Florence ; 

 Messrs. Smith & Baker's Champions Le Prince, La Princesse, 

 Duke of Florence, etc. ; Captain Hargreaves's Sir Hereward (the 

 most noted sire since the days of Bayard and Thor) ; Joseph Royle's 

 Champion Lord Douglas and Lord Hatherton; Mrs. Jagger's 

 Champion Frandley Stephanie, Lady Mignon, and Champion 

 Florentius (Fig. 24) ; Mrs. Jones's Champion Duke of Surrey 

 (Fig. 25) ; Mrs. Semple's Baron Richmond ; and many more noted 

 dogs could be named owned by women. 



Whilst both the original St. Bernard Club and the Northern 

 Club recognised the same scale of points, friction arose. The 

 Northern Club changed its name to that of the National St. Bernard 

 Club, and became antagonistic to the older club a state of things 

 that has done harm to the breed. 



Thus, from making a trade of the breeding of these noble dogs, 

 the bickerings arising from the various ideas held upon the question 

 of type, and no doubt the great expense entailed in rearing and 

 keeping these leviathans, there are signs that the St. Bernard is 

 waning in public favour. This may be only a passing cloud, and 

 perhaps when the dog is bred more to original type, he will again 

 become first favourite amongst canine pets. 



Schumacher regretted the deterioration of the St. Bernard when 

 the Swiss breeders bred to please the English buyers. Yet we 

 have certainly improved upon the original pure Swiss type 

 of dog. 



At the present time there is, again, an absence of once well- 



