CHAPTER XII 

 THE SUSSEX SPANIEL 



T is to be regretted that we have to speak in the past tense 

 with regard to the Sussex spaniel, a true-bred specimen of 

 which variety it would be as difficult to find at the present 

 time as a pure Laverack setter. As will be seen by reference 

 to the article on the Clumber spaniel, where we quote 

 from old writers of a century ago, the Sussex spaniel had then a widespread 

 reputation and a name. Mr. Fuller of Rosehill paid great attention to 

 this variety and kept them from the beginning of the century until his death 

 in 1847. He lived at Rosehill Hall, and the name of Rosehill has always 

 been associated with the breed and considered a guarantee of excellence 

 beyond question. Few, indeed, however, can now claim the right to dis- 

 play Rosehill on their escutcheon, which is now blazoned with "sable" to 

 far too great an extent, and the former sign of true breeding, the golden 

 liver coat, is all but a forgotten bygone. 



When Mr. Fuller died, his keeper was permitted by Mrs. Fuller to 

 select two spaniels from the kennel, and he took George and Romp, the 

 others, seven in all, Lee tells us, being sold. It is through the pair Relf 

 got that we trace back at all to the Rosehill strain. Of course there were 

 other Sussex spaniels or we would hardly have heard of them as a variety; 

 and they were in many hands, but the best of the early show dogs came 

 mainly from the Rosehill strain. That this was not so in its entirety is 

 well illustrated by a dog called George being selected for Stonehenge's 

 book as the typical dog of the breed, and he was by a black dog. Blacks 

 and livers were interbred very much, and twenty years ago only a very 

 limited few could lay claim even to being "almost pure bred." 



One of the best of the dogs of that period, and one who made a greater 

 name for himself than any Sussex possible to mention, was Bachelor, a 

 great winner in his day and entitled to the prefix of champion. His dam 

 was mainly black in her breeding, and Lee says she had water spaniel blood 

 in her, but adds that Bachelor even at that was about as pure Sussex as any- 

 thing to be had in his day. 



229 



