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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE ― These Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and are progressively growing to be the only record of life around Findon, West Sussex, England. Everyday stories about real people..... in fact, a potted history of the village. The topics today, are the history of tomorrow.
A SHEPHERD'S REMARKABLE FRIEND AT TOLMARE FARM
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Copyright Valerie Martin 2008
First published in October 2008 in Findon Pages
Dogs have an age-long reputation as the faithful companion and efficient helper of the shepherd in tending sheep and Dick was no exception.
This is a sheep-dog story written in 1933 by R. J. Sharp of Chichester in West Sussex. It was penned in the days when sheep-dogs were not of the appearance of black and white collies of today..... but were rough and tumble bob-tailed shepherds' companions.
It would be fascinating to go back in time and have a glimpse into the past and see the sheep guarded by the shepherd on our downland. I often think that if we ran across a flock on a dog walk today, their dogs might be a rather fierce breed to meet.
| A REMARKABLE SHEEP-DOG:
"Dick," the old English bob-tail
of Shepherd Edward Bacon, was born in January 1899 and destroyed, owing to old
age, in 1922 - 23 years old, and was working at 20. He was born at Long Furlong, Findon, his mother being "Gyp," master, Edward Dennet. He was the smallest of a litter of seven and was always quite a small dog. He was broken in on Tolmare Farm (Mr Matthews) and worked there seven years. Then on Mr Ireland's farm, Ifewer, Billingshurst (for three years) and on the Home Farm, Ferring (under Messrs Prince and Stacey and Hall successively) for thirteen years. His master never once hit him (no sheep-dog will stand it), but to break him in an old soft hat was used to make his puppy-mind understand. His master would leave him all day to guard his coat and crook, r beside turnips or greens to keep the sheep out and know all would be safe, except should a thunderstorm arise, for these upset "Dick,". When at home "Dick" would guard the children. He was always fed on dog cakes and table scraps and never succumbed to the temptation to chase a rabbit. Other shepherds would send their pups to run with "Dick" and so learn to be sheep dogs. |
In August 2011, Tony Clevett emailed to tell me that Edward Bacon had married his 3x cousin, Alice Clevett. At the time, Alice already had two illegitimate daughters that Edward took on and raised as his own. They also had four other children from their marriage......all brought out on a shepherd's wages and as stated above the sheepdog, Dick, would "guard the children".
What a lovely story from the past.... and still remembered today..... because YOU are reading it.
Yvonne Pegrum of Rustington emailed me in August 2008 to say that Edward Bacon was her grandfather and here he is with Dick the dog...
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Continue if you would like to read about Horace Hale of Tolmare Farm.
THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.
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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial. Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but just sometimes they might be! |
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