Description:Amongst the volumes of memoranda in the Sutherland Papers are two books compiled by Henry Wright, secretary to the Duke of Sutherland entitled ‘Game’. The books from the 1850s to the late 1870s contain details about ‘Shootings’, relating to hunting and ‘Fishings’. The volumes include correspondence, lists of costs and notes on subjects related to ‘Game’ at Trentham, Lilleshall and Dunrobin.
Several of the entries in Wright’s ‘Memoranda’ concern dogs. A ‘List of dogs at Dunrobin’ is followed by detail of the ‘pedigree’ of the dogs and a list of dogs sold between 1869 and 1874.
‘List of Dogs Kept at Dunrobin Kennels’
Wright’s book includes the breed and names of the dogs kept at Dunrobin Kennels during 1868. The document tells us about the type of dogs kept at the kennels, most of which were working dogs such as staghounds and pointers. Wright also lists the amusing pet names given to the dogs which are very entertaining.
The kennels housed six pointers, two of which were called ‘Czar’ and ‘Drake’. Two setters, one named Bob, and two retrievers, Leo and Ned were also housed at the kennels, alongside five staghounds and five terriers. The retrievers and terriers appear to have been given the most embarrassing names of all the dogs, particularly the poor staghound named ‘Ferret’ and the terrier named ‘Tiny’.
Wright also records the dates on which the dogs had ‘pups’, telling us that Ferret ‘had 4 pups’ on 1st August. He also notes that in January 1871 he provided Macdonald, the supervisor of Dunrobin Kennels with one shilling and sixpence per week ‘for puppies’ including one pint of ‘warm milk’ per day for each of the puppies.