The American Gentleman – Genealogy of the Boston Terrier
Each winter holiday season, I try to take a couple of weeks off from work to visit with family and to devote time to my projects during the days that span between the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s Eve. And so, between my siblings’ visit, spending time with the family, our annual holiday party, and the remaining days of my vacation, I figured I would have about a week to settle in and work on my genealogy project. However, on Saturday, December 21st, 2019…My person surprised me with a wonderful and thoughtful gift…the gift of companionship in the form of an eight week old Boston Terrier puppy. As soon as we picked the little guy up from New Holland, Pennsylvania, a new way of life began in our little cottage family, one where our lives now revolve around a little chicken-hawk, who is willful in character, fragile in body, highly intelligent, eager to learn and who will impose his will on you if given the opportunity.
At some point I will devote posts to family pets from generations past through the present. But, I’d also like to examine how the breeding of dogs and their pedigree mirrors the genealogy and ancestry of humans, and to identify the similarities of how the traits passed down from pure breads and non-pure breads applies to humans as well. And so, to celebrate the inclusion of our new furry friend and family member into my genealogy project, I found it appropriate to research the genealogy of the Boston Terrier.
History
Known as the “American Gentleman” for its tuxedo markings and its gentle disposition, the Boston Terrier’s acceptance into the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed in 1893 made it one of the first non-sporting breeds originating from the United States. The Boston Terrier breed originated around 1875 when Robert C. Hooper of Boston purchased a White English Terrier (now extinct) from Edward Burnett and named him Judge. Hooper bred his dog Judge with a white Bulldog named Gyp to produce the first American Bull Terrier breed litter later renamed to Boston Terrier in 1893. The first Boston Terriers were larger than those bred today, weighing in at 44 lbs. (then) compared to the Boston Terriers of today at 25 lbs., a testament to the influence of the larger now extinct White English Terrier and stockier Bulldogs of the day.
Genealogy
The Boston Terrier’s lineage can be traced to a White English Terrier (now extinct) named Judge (who weighed about 30 lbs. and had a dark brindle coat with white blaze and throat), and a Bulldog named Burnett’s Gyp (nearly completely white in color with a stocky build). With generations of breeding, the Boston Terrier has lost the aggressive nature of its forefathers the White English Terrier and English Bulldog and have become smaller in stature and weight. Hooper’s Judge and Burnett’s Gyp had a male dog named Well’s Eph (weighed about 28 lbs., with a dark brindle color and white face) which was bred with Tobin’s Kate (weighed about 20 lbs., and had a golden brindle color), they produced Barnard’s Tom (weighing 22 lbs., red brindle with a white blaze on his face, white collar and feet and a screw tail). Barnard’s Tom is often referred to as the first genuine Boston Terrier. Barnard’s Tom was crossed with Kelley’s Nell (20 lbs., short headed and dark brindle evenly marked) and they produced Barnard’s Mike who is the first true Boston Terrier type similar to the modern day breed.
Traits & Temperament
Once known as “Round Heads”, the Boston Terriers have a large head proportioned to their short but muscular bodies. They have a prominent pair of bulging eyes that are set squarely in the skull. Boston Terriers have short tails and short hair which makes them easy to groom, but, also susceptible to extreme environments and are therefore, in-door dogs which make great travel companions or lap dogs. The Boston Terrier has a friendly happy-go-lucky personality, and a playful and whimsical sense of humor. They are very intelligent, sensitive and easy to train and protective of their owners and get along with other pets, children and love to be around people.
Health Predisposition
Boston Terriers are susceptible to health issues associated with brachycephalic breeds, meaning short-headed in Greek. Common issues affecting this breed include: snoring and reverse sneezing, and their bulging eyes can be prone to injury from environmental factors (branches, sand, debris) and corneal ulcers. Their short muzzles also make them intolerable to excessively cold and hot climates. And then there’s their flatulence, of which I have already experienced first-hand.
References
We could apply these indicators to our very own genealogy of course, to extrapolate how our family lines have evolved over time, perhaps leveraging the advent of DNA Testing in Genealogy and the recent advances in testing traits and health predisposition in humans through DNA matching to provide insights into our own family history. If animals tend to carry similar traits, temperament, appearance, and health predisposition from generational breeding, then, they could provide clues and serve as a microcosm for the same human indicators that we inherit from our ancestors: physical characteristics, temperament, health predisposition, and other traits.
With this in mind, wherever possible, as I go deeper into my research, I hope to compare photos or paintings of known ancestors to my family’s current generation to identify similarities in physical appearance. And through family stories, correspondence, and anecdotal evidence, I’d like to explore and compare temperaments from past and current family generations while also examining death records to determine if any health predispositions have passed on to recent generations and family members who passed away.
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Family History
Family Births
- On 1453-05-13, Mary FEILDING is born in Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
- On 1570-05-13, William BISHOP 2ND is born in Ancient Holway Manor, Cattistock, Dorset, England
- On 1668-05-13, Mary Margaret JONES is born in Charles City, Charles, Virginia, USA
- On 1674-05-13, Mary WHITTEN* is born in Tisbury, Dukes, MA
- On 1800-05-13, Colby Cowherd TWYMAN is born in Woodford, Kentucky, United States
- On 1850-05-13, Stokely Taylor MARTIN is born in Henry County, Virginia, USA
- On 1852-05-13, Sarah Elizabeth DEBUSK is born in Estell, Kentucky, United States
- On 1856-05-13, Charles George MILLER is born in Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA
- On 1878-05-13, Harlan MC GUIRE is born in Kentucky, United States
Family Deaths
- On 1748-05-13, Robert Spilsbe COLEMAN dies in Picadilly, Caroline, Virginia, United States
- On 1829-05-13, May BURTON dies in Orange, Orange, Virginia, United States
- On 1850-05-13, Abner STULTZ dies in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States
- On 1941-05-13, Martha Ann MARTIN dies in Rowan, Kentucky
- On 1989-05-13, Joseph HELLEMS dies in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- On 2004-05-13, Alma Clementine (Tiny) HELMS dies in Roanoke County, Virginia
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Genealogy
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