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Henry Panmure Gordon (Harry) [1837-1902] attended the University of Oxford and founded a
stockbrokerage firm that still bears his name. In the dog world, he was
a founder and first president of the Scottish Kennel Club, which drew up
its constitution in 1881. He was also Honorary President of the Scottish
Collie Club for 1890-1891. Tim Linacre, CEO of H. Panmure Gordon, gave his
blessings on using this picture of Mr. Gordon on this website.
Unfortunately, no other photo of Mr. Gordon with dogs was available from
Mr. Linacre.
This image was included in Charles Henry Lane's
article of 1902 for Dog Shows and Doggy People.
Lane wrote:
"This gentleman has for many years been a
prominent figure amongst Doggy People, not only as a spirited buyer,
breeder, and occasional exhibitor of several varieties of dogs, but
also as a member of the Committee of the Kennel Club and the
President of the Scottish Kennel Club. He has been a zealous
supporter and patron of any undertakings for the benefit of dogs and
Doggy People, and enjoys popularity with a very large circle of
friends and acquaintances in the Doggy World.
After leaving Harrow he went to the University
of Bonn, on the Rhine, and then entered the Army with a commission
in the 10th Hussars, with whom he passed four years. On retirement
from the Army he took up commerce, and was five years in the
mercantile firm of Lindsay & Co., Shanghai, China. While there he
commanded the Shanghai Mounted Volunteer Rangers during the Taiping
Rebellion.
On his return to England he entered the Stock
Exchange, of which he has been an active member for the last thirty
years; but, although essentially a busy man, he devotes what leisure
he has to his favourite hobbies, which are dogs, salmon fishing, and
the management of his properties.
He has more especially favoured the breeds of
his native land—Collies and Scottish Terriers—and has had from time
to time in his kennels many notable specimens of both varieties, as
he is a firm believer in breeding from the best materials
obtainable, and price does not form an obstacle if a specimen takes
his fancy.
To give a list of those which have found a home
in the Loudwater Kennels, at Rickmansworth, Herts, would be a
lengthy affair—too much so, I fear, for a slight sketch like the
present; but many of them have appeared in the prize lists of our
leading shows.
He is a member of several of the West End Clubs and
the Ranelagh Club at Barnes, and has been a princely supporter of
the Scottish Kennel Club, which for the last twenty-five years has
held the premier position in Scotland, where Mr. Panmure Gordon is
probably the most popular man amongst Doggy People over the border.
He has also been the means of exporting a
number of high-class Collies to friends in America, and, but for the
difficulties attending the exportation of dogs, much more would have
been done in this way, as there is no difficulty in finding buyers
of really good dogs at the best prices; but the quarantine
arrangements entail so much delay, risk, and expense, that it
practically puts the extinguisher on the most ardent breeders and
fanciers.
There are probably few, if any, in the ranks of
Doggy People who have spent more on his hobby than the subject of
this sketch, or done more for the benefit of his fellow-fanciers in
many and various ways.
An excellent portrait of this gentleman with
one of his Sheepdogs accompanies this slight notice."
The above image was also included in The
Bearded Collie, by G. O. Willison, London: W. & G. Foyle
Ltd. (1971). She referenced this image as being from Dog Shows and Doggy
People. Mr. Gordon passed away in 1902 which was the same year
Lane's book Dog Shows and Doggy
People was published.
Drury (who served more as an editor than an author of original work)
separately wrote a third edition of Dalziel's earlier book entitled British Dogs: Their Points, Selection, and Show Preparation,
London: L. Upcott Gill, 1903. He was assisted
by other writers. These collaborators were listed by
name, and Panmure Gordon was listed as a "Specialist" for the
Collies section (which likely contained the same wording as what was in
the Dalziel's second edition).
"As will be gathered from this, there
are two varieties of Collie as generally accepted-the Rough and
the Smooth; but there is also a third, the Bearded Collie
(Fig.41), which is often found in the sheep-markets of Perth, Stirling, and Falkirk. This is a purely working type of dog, and
appears to be a combination of the Collie proper and the Old
English Sheepdog. Unlike the latter, however, it is not
bob-tailed. Classes for this distinctive-looking dog are
provided at some shows and meet with a fair amount of success."
Figure 41 in Drury's book was a picture of a Bearded Collie.
For some reason, the dog's name, nor his owner's name, was mentioned.
Perhaps this was due to Mr. Gordon being the "specialist" on the writing
for the collies.
Jock also appeared in Les Races de Chiens (shortened
title), 1904 edition, by Bylandt. In this book, the same image is
identified as Jock, a Highland or Bearded Collie, owned by Panmure
Gordon.
Jock appeared again in Maxtee's The Collie as a Show Dog, Companion, and
Worker in 1923.
This same image also appeared in Mrs. Willison's 1971 book
mentioned above. She referenced the image to
Drury's British Dogs, 3rd Edition, but no further
information was given.
Bylandt also included a picture of
Lassie, another Beardie, owned by Panmure Gordon.
Thanks to Margaret Dalriach, for assisting in
providing these images and the Bylandt information.
Another image of Panmure Gordon appeared in the book entitled Dogs of Scotland
by D. J. Thomson Gray.
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