CHAPTER XII 
THe Sussex SPANIEL 
jl 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. 
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