My next dam of real significance is a bitch called Ruby111. Why she should be named the third Ruby we do not know. I have to assume that her breeder had previous bitches called Ruby.
What we do know is that she bred at least nine daughters that bred on. She was the main foundation bitch for the Rev Hans Hamilton who was the most famous breeder at that time. He supplied Queen Victoria with one or two of his Rough Collies which started her off in the breed.
I have included a four generation pedigree of her and will go into some length about the Collies in this pedigree.
Pedigree Ruby 111 Born in 1877. Black & Brown
| TRICOLOUR 11 | TRICOLOUR Full brother to Trefoil | TWIG (Mr Shirley) | |
| BESS (Mr Grasby) | |||
| LORNA (Bissell) | TARTON (Brother of TRICOLOUR) | ||
| MAUDE Family A | Old Cockie | ||
| Meg | |||
| NELLIE (Everard-Digby) | PERTHSHIRE BOB | BOB EX RUG | Rug |
| CLOUDY | |||
| ELSIE (Everard-Digby) | |||
Unfortunately, there is no photograph nor illustration of this very important bitch. According to Wheeler who saw her and liked her, she was described by him as being black on the body with tan markings on the face and legs. She had a lovely head. Nowadays we expect our Collies to have some white on them but back then it was quite common for Collies to lack this colour in their coat.
She was the foundation bitch for the Rev Hans Hamilton who was probably the most important Collie breeder of his time. He became president of the Collie Club and became a prominent committee man with the Kennel Club. He also became a committee member on the Crufts Show. Although it was not until the late 1910’s that he won a Challenge Certificate at that show.
Ruby 111 must have been a very prolific breeder because she appears to have produced at least nine bitch puppies that went on to breed puppies themselves. I will get on to some of them later.
3 Generation Reverse Pedigree of: Ruby III
Sex: F
Date of Birth: 01/01/1877
Colour & Markings:
Owner: Rev Hans Hamilton
+--Ruby III
| +--Lady Clare
| | +--Grove Daisy
| | +--Zenobia
| +--CH Madge 1
| | +--CH Peggie 11
| | +--CH Rutland
| | +--Sefton
| | +--Sooty
| | +--Amy
| | +--Lady Madge
| | +--Madgie
| | +--Pattie
| | +--Hilda II
| +--US Ch Zulu Princess
| | +--CH Sly Fox
| | +--Plaidie
| +--Sable Flossie
| | +--Devil Dodger
| | +--Sable Flora
| +--Rowena
| | +--Alloa Lass
| +--Lilly
| | +--Edie
| +--Lady Rowena
| | +--Queen Shella
| +--Donald (Hans Hamilton)
| | +--Blue Ruin
Her dam was called Nellie and as there were so many bitches at that time with the same name, I have had to attach her owner/breeders name to her so distinguishing her from the many other Nellie’s. She again was of a black and tan colour.
Mr Wheeler describes Nellie as a very well made bitch with a fair amount of coat. Her head was a full of quality but a little on the short side. Her dam was called Elsie and I have also had to add her breeders name to her name as obviously Elsie was going to be a popular name for a bitch at that time. I have no further knowledge about her except that she must have done quite well in the show ring as she has a Kennel Club Stud Book number. She was almost certainly a working Collie because they nearly all were at that time.
Nellie’s sire was called Perthshire Bob we do not know too much about, but he goes down in the history of the breed as being the sire of one of the more successful dogs of his day called Carlyle. And what a name for Perthshire Bob’s sire Bob of Rug. I assume that like most dogs of that time he was not registered at the Kennel Club. But where did he get that name? Further research shows that this was not his name. This should have been Bob ex Rug. Rug being the sire of Bob.
Ruby 111’s sire Tricolour 11 was interesting as his sire Tricolour was the full brother, later litter of Trefoil who was the dog that all Rough Collies go back to on their male line. They were born in Ireland, the breeder being Mr Shirley who was the first Chairman of the Kennel Club. Now we can see that there was some proper linebreeding in this pedigree because Tartan the sire of Lorna the granddam of Ruby111 was the litter brother of Tricolour.
| Ch Madge | Marcus. No pedigree and probably a Border Collie. | ||
| Ruby 111 | Tricolour 11 | Tricolour | |
| Lorna (Everard-Digby) | |||
| Nellie (Everard-Digby) | Perthshire Bob | ||
| Elsie (Everard-Digby) |
The most outstanding litter from Ruby was when she was mated to a black & white dog called Marcus. He evidently came down from Scotland and proved to be a popular stud dog. We do not have any knowledge of his parentage. From a photograph of his head he looks like a very good Border Collie which I suspect he was.
However, this mating produced two very good bitches. A black and white called Zulu Princess who was exported to the States after she had a litter in this Country. She became one of the early US Champions. The other bitch was called Ch Madge 1 who was a tricolour and the first Champion Collie under Kennel Club rules. She is by far the most important as she was the dam of Ch Peggie 11 the dam of Ch Christopher when mated to Ch Metchley Wonder.
Madge was also the dam of a dog called Ch Rutland when she was mated to Ch Wolf a son of Old Cockie. Rutland was a very popular sire. And Madge was also the dam of Sefton when she was mated to Maude’s son Ch Charlemagne. Sefton being the sire of Ch Metchley Wonder.
This then ties up the relation between Maude and Ruby 111. These two bitches really laid down the foundation of the breed, and probably had more influence on the future than any of the dogs.
Ch Peggie 11 was also the dam of Ch Sefton Grace making a run of three Champion bitches. Peggie 11 will live in the history of the breed because of her son Ch Christopher who made more of an impact on the breed, from my research than any other Collie born in the 1800’s. Peggie’s bitch line only went on for another three generations, but it is her son who was the wonder. From his photograph I have to say that he was the first really true Rough Collie. He would win today.
Yet another very important bitch from Ruby111 was a bitch called Lady Clare born in 1884 when Ruby111 was mated to Ch Wolf. Lady Clare was again a prolific breeder, and it is through her that we again come down to CH Ormskirk Emerald, as her Granddaughter Apple Blossom out of Grove Daisy ex Ch Metchley Wonder is the paternal Granddam of this famous dog.
It is through Lady Clare that this bitch line goes right up to a Champion bitch born in 1948. This was Ch Eden Erasmic. She was actually the second bitch with this name to be registered at The Kennel Club. Mr Robson who owned the Eden prefix did not breed or own her. I have to think that he bought her in then sold her on. She was bred by J & A Cleary and owned by a well known exhibitor and judge Mr A. A. Heywood. Her sire was an unknown dog called Don of Oldpark.
We do not know the sires of so many of these bitches. I suspect that hardly any of them were shown at exhibitions because most were simply pets that were mated to have a litter. Certainly, there are no known offspring from any of the dams after Last Rose. Ch Eden Erasmic was probably, like too many of our Champion bitches proved to be non breeders and I have to wonder what her original name was because Mr Robson changed the name of every Collie he bought so that they became Eden Collies.
Last Rose was the dam of Ch Wishaw Clinker the sire of Ch Balgreggie Baronet who was the sire of the great unbeaten Ch Squire of Tyton and all subsequent males up to the present day. It does seem to be very strange that she is the last in this long line of bitches to produce winning offspring.
I have looked into the progeny of Ch Madge 1. She was owned by the Rev Hans Hamilton and was one of the first Champion bitches in this country. Surprising for the time that when she was born, we have her true birth date which was 10/9/1879. She was by Marcusa dog that came down from Scotland and is probably the reason that the Rough Collie is considered to be Scottish in origin. But from his photo and we do have a photo of his head I have to assume that he was really a Border Collie.
Ch Madge 1
Described by Wheeler as a Lovely bitch that was matchless when in full coat. She was of the desired type with correct head, expression and ears. And we do have a photograph of her. Unfortunately, she is sitting down so we do not see her in her full pomp.
Ch Madge was a prolific dam as not only was she the dam of Ch Peggie 11 but also the dam of four other bitches that produced puppies. The most successful dam from her was called simply Amy that was born in 1892. But Peggie 11 was by far the most influential.
I worked an 8 generation reverse pedigree of Madge. I did this to show the influence she had on the breed in the early years. I had one problem with it though as it covered 50 pages. This is actually rather more than any other bitch I have looked at. She was the dam of two Champions. The aforementioned Peggie and a dog called Ch Rutland. He was very widely used at stud and was a successful sire. Madge was an exception because being a Champion she was also a good dam. Not too many Champion bitches were also good and successful dams.
I have put in here the full bitch line for Ruby 111. It ends with a bitch born in 1948. This is Ch Eden Erasmic that became a Champion. But she did not breed on and she had evidently been bought by Mr Robson who changed her name so that it contained his kennel name. Her sire was an unknown dog. I have to assume that her new owner liked her when he saw her and bought her.
Ch Eden Erasmic 2 was the second bitch registered in this name. The first was born in 1915. She actually won her title in the ownership of Mr A A Hayward.
DAM LINE of: Ch Eden Erasmic 2
Sex: F
Date of Birth: 20/02/1948
Dam
Sire
Gay Jewel ………………………………….Don of Oldpark
June Reminder ………………………………
Gloria Gay …………………………………
Lady Lulu ………………………………….
Llechwedd Carnation …………………………
Quarry Beauty ………………………………
Dolly of Barlwed ……………………………
Constance of Barlwed ………………………..
Laund Lacemaker …………………………….
Broadhill Beauty ……………………………Ormskirk Peacebearer
Hilton Model ……………………………….
Peterboro’ Model ……………………………
Last Rose ………………………………….
Wishaw Rose ………………………………..Parkhill Pilot
Bridesmaid …………………………………..Ormskirk Amazement
Grove Daisy ………………………………….CH Metchley Wonder
Lady Clare ……………………………………CH Eclipse
Ruby III ……………………………………….CH Wolf
Nellie (Everard Digby) ……………………..Tricolour 11
Elsie (Everard Digby) 5430…………………Perthshire Bob
This is the only extended line going back to Ruby. It is quite a strange line as I cannot find the sires of most and there are no lines coming down male or female from any of the bitches in this line apart from Ruby.
Corydon Collies 