The publications in this section give a sense of what our breed was like to live with in the early days, what issues were prominent at the time and the mind set of our early owners and breeders.

Anecdotes

Contributed by Frank Rogers on Drop Ear Mishps:
"... they should know their history that at one time The Norwich P.E. & D.E was one breed, only separated by ear carriage. There was a time, and Barbara Miller recently reminded me about it, when a long time Norwich Breeder, Glenn Wills claimed he bred a Norwich that produced a D.E. Puppy that was extremely nice. He decided to show it at one of the Pennsylvania Specialties in the Open or Bred by Class in the Norwich Terrier D.E. Class. Well the heads were bobbing and the mouths were flapping around the ring as poor Glenn paraded his little dog around the ring as the Judge took a good look, when all of a sudden, and I never thought she had it in her, Ellen Lee Kennelly (NTC President) walked right into the ring as the dogs were going around and asked Glenn to get out. Do you believe it? It was so embarrassing for him. I think he would have won that class too. I think in time he did finish it as a Norfolk somewhere in Kentucky.

The ear thing used to be very iffy years ago and sometimes still today it can happen because I know of another Norfolk person who in the 1980's says her norfolk bitch accidently was bred while loose on the farm and a neighbor's Norwich got her. She had a litter of 4 red puppies. They were all D.E when I saw them and I  asked if they were to go to pet homes with no registration papers. She said, "Oh no, I'm going to register them as Norfolks". So you see a D.E. can still have a pop up ear today. I sold a male Norfolk with one ear up and one down. Well they were both down when he left me at 12 weeks. When it tended to go up, the owners loved it that way. I told them how to massage it and tape it but no way. He ended up in a few print ads and on the cover of a Top Magazine and is as good looking a male Norfolk as ever - well, except for that one ear.  I am a nut for ear carriage on Norfolks. When I had Maxwells O'Henry I taped his ears for weeks at a time, for assurance. They wouldn't have gone up anyway but that was my paranoia, same with Thrumpton's Lady Pauline, I got her a 9 months from the Fords so thay were pretty much set.

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Reprint from Notes On The Horn, Working Terriers by James Fagan Scharnberg:
Many people are horrified at the thought of their pet killing game in the country, or worried about risking their show stock being marked up. These Terrier Field Trials are about the closest thing to natural earthwork you can get with no danger at all to dog or quarry. And when you see your little tyke enter the earth and hear him start to bay and yap with excitement, you may find you're "hooked." There are different degrees of difficulty in our working tests, if you wish to go no further than the trials with your dog's hunting. And we can provide proper, safe training for the person who wants to develop his terrier for natural hunting if he wishes to join the AWTA (American Working Terrier Association).

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Contributed by Frank Rogers :
"Who in God's name ever said Peter's Pence had a docile temperment"? Constance was scared to death of him. I'm not sure she ever touched him even when he lived at Kings Prevention and I don't think he stayed very long. He was bred to Nanfan Corricle (Joy) not sure where he ended up but I Joy ended up her days living with Debbie Pritchard.

When I remember Ickworth's Peters Pence it was the Norwich & Norfolk Terrier Club Speciality in Pennsylvania, and under the groomers tent way in a corner, piled in a stack of Kings Prevention crates, as Constance worked busily on her Norwich, she had also pre-entered Peters pence prior to his arrival in the U.S. so he was also there that day.

I remember this little guy in the middle crate in the stack of three, with a blanket covering this tower basicaly to quiet the dogs and also Constance was having doubts wheather to show him that day for fear he may not be ready for his debut. I don't remember who was showing her dogs, sometimes she had Damara Bolte, or she'd ask friends Anna Bellanger or, Missy Wood.  I had fun showing one of her Norwich, Kings Prevention Sally who showed like a trooper, I got 2 majors with her. 

If you never knew Constance, she was small and petite, her husband Col. Larrabee used to call her Mousy. She had a combination English/South African accent, mostly South African because she spent most of her childhood there. She was soft spoken and timid, feisty and as tough as nails if need be. She felt uneasy that day and decided to pull Peter's pence from the competition. She knew according to Dog Show rules, it was illegal to do so with the dog on the show grounds, unless he was ill. I'm sure she felt maybe he wasn't ready, or how would he react, especially since he only just arrived a few day earlier, and a Specialty was not a place for any embarrassment.

It was no secret to Peters Pence's arrival and word was out the Ickworth Norfolk had arrived and was at King's Prevention. There was another Ickworth dog also making his mark in the U.S. CH Ickworth Nimrod, owned by Betty Fell so naturally Betty was anxious to see the competition.  I remember seeing the huge station wagon arriving at the unloading area with Betty Fell, Jack Simm and his wife Jenny as they unloaded the Badgewood dogs. I couldn't wait to get across the crowded grooming tent to Betty's ear. He's here, Peters Pence is here, where?

Follow me. Betty dropped everything. Mrs. Fell zoomed through that grooming area over to where Constance was standing and without an acknowledgement to Constance tore off the blanket saying "Let me see this little guy" as she opened the crate, to reach in to remove him from his quarters you could hear a loud gasp and the reaction from Constance, as Betty Fell grab that Norfolk, her heart jumped into her throat.  Naturally Peters Pence was just fine as Betty plopped him on a grooming table to give him a quick once over then back into the crate.

I wanted to relay this experience with Peter's Pence because as with Nanfan Corricle, he arrived at the Philadelphia airport so I claimed him and took him home to where Constance would arrive later that day for the night.  It took three adults over an hour to get Peter's Pence out of his travel crate with the possibility of losing a finger with each attempt. It was an impossible feat. I literally had to pour him out of the crate into the back yard. After time to adjust, and gain some trust at least one of us was able to get him back into that crate for his ride back to Chestertown. I had to chuckle to myself as I wished Constancel the best of luck as she drove down the driveway with her addition to her kennel family in tow. 

I guess there is a point to this story. Let them know who's in charge. If they know they can take advantage of you, lots of frustration is sure to follow.  Peter's Pence was bred to Nanfan Corricle and is the sire of King's Prevention Ahoy.

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Contributed by Missy Woods:
AKC first offered Sweestakes/Futurity classes in 1965 and the former Norwich Terrier Club offered their first Sweepstakes competition in 1965 at the Greenwich KC specialty in June of that year. The judge was Miss Gene Simmonds of Joppa, Maryland. Sweepstakes classes were divided by ear carraige (regular classes at the time were not divided) and age (6-12 month and 12-18 month) but not by sex and there was no Best In Sweepstakes awarded. From a class of 7, the first 6-12 month drop ear class was won by Barbara Fournier's Bethway The Dutchess. From a class of 4, Barbara Fournier's Bethway John Boy topped the drop ear 12-18 month class.

1) The AKC first offered the Bred-by class in 1950
2) The former club didn't keep statistics on Bred-by points until spring of 1973 so that means a 23 year period in which someone COULD have finished a drop-ear all from the Bred-by class.
I can tell you this much.....in 1974 (when the Maplehurst cup was first awarded for most POINTS from Bred-by in a club year) the winner was Anne Winston with Mt. Paul Tulip. That in no way suggests the dog finished all from Bred-by, just that the dog earned the most points.

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Contributed by Frank Rogers from a 1977 Publication:
Johan Ostrow has sent in the following helpful note to exhibitors: "Moss-Bow and Foley have informed me that they have been contacted about entries after January 1, and any errors [on the entry form] (e.g., someone entering a Norwich, D.E., instead of Norfolk) will be refused. Everyone should be extra careful in entering. By the by, Norwich, P.E., will be wrong also as we won't have varieties anymore.

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Contributed by Frank Rogers:
Comments by a Terrier Breeder by W.R. Irving - Scotland (year unknown)
It has always been the philosophy of true breeders that this hobby of showing, working and breeding dogs, is indeed a hobby and is undertaken for fun mainly, and to try to achieve something in breeding better Terriers. Recently, however, things would appear to have changed somewhat. Some people seem to be taking things far too seriously and becoming too personal about the whole affair. Judging and showing dogs outght to be fun, albeit serous fun, otherwise why bother with it at all? When it stops being fun and when it starts to become something more of a business or being too important to a person, then it ceases to be what it should be as far as I am concerned namely, a hobby, a way of passing the time enjoyably and a way of meeting new people and of improving a strain of dog, while at the same time enjoying oneself!

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Contributed by Frank Rogers:
Terrier Men from Shooting Times and Country Magazine, England
TERRIER MEN. Like the terriers they own, the terrier men are a breed apart. Their dogs are bred for work and so are they. Not for them the atmosphere of the show ring, but rather the long days in the field in all sorts of weather. There are innumerable peoms and prose about Masters, Huntsmen, whippers-in and hounds, but terrier men are the unsung heroes of the chase.

Take for instance, the late "Pino" Newman of the Puckeridge. In his youth Pino had suffered form tuberculosis and the doctor recommended an open air life. Pino promptly became a terrier man and his TB vanished. As well as doing the terrier work for the Puckeridge he whipped-in to the Eastern Countries Otterhounds during the summer. I can see in my mind's eye that little round-shouldered figure with the large pixie ears plodding across the plough. Those who knew him as a shabby old man were very surprised if they went to tea in his cottage they were received by a white-coated manservant and tea was served from a solid silver tea-service. At the back of his cottage there was a drain and he wished when he died that he be cremated and his ashes should be put in the drain so that the foxes could run over them.

Then there was Charlie. He had a tough little bitch called Nellie which was no respecter of persons. One morning he was late and his excuse to the Master was "Sorry I be late, Sir, but Nellie was sleeping on the tail of me shirt and I dursen't wake her lest her bit me in a tender part." If he had Nellie to ground in a big place and decided that it was impossible he could bend down to the hole and call "Nellie, come out, there's a good gal. Us be goin' 'ome and if I gets thur afore thee I'll eat thee dinner." Sure enough out would come Nellie looking very disgtrunted.

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Contributed by Frank Rogers
For years many Norfolk Terrier breeder/owners have also owned Norwich Terriers. So many times at dog shows, or at the Vet or just taking a relaxing stroll with your favorite four legged friend someone will always ask “what’s the difference between a Norfolk and a Norwich, is it just the ears drop versus prick?. Now we who have lived with both breeds for years can write pages and pages of differences between both breeds because in so many ways they are nothing alike. You’d become breathless trying to explain to a novice, so the best quip I ever read and use today is right there in “The Norfolk Terrier”, by Joan Read, and you hope they get it.
           
A wise breeder once said: “Norwich say, ‘Look, what I’ve done,’ while Norfolk think,  ‘what shall I do?’ ”

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Contributed by Frank Rogers referencing Anne Rogers Clark, Surrey Kennels
She and her husband Jim. I spent many weekends at Kings Prevention and they lived not very far from Constance so they were always dinner guests. Jim more than Annie because she was away judging some of the time. But I loved her memory. You could ask her. Hey Annie when you judged Bucks County in 1998 the bitch you gave Best of Opposite to in Norfolks why not Best of Breed shed tell you in great detail even if it were 10 years later.
Glad you liked her, who didn't. It was an honor to be judged by her.

The Terrier Bag

Contributed by Frank Rogers: The small terrier had a harder time keeping up with the hunt so the Whipper-in or the Huntsman, not the Master would carry the terrier in the saddlebag so if a fox went to ground the terrier went to work. There never was the intent to carry the terrier that's why they had legs. Back then, this was truly a working terrier and not one that we put in our laps or in our beds. They just couldn't keep up with the hounds and if it were a large field (big turnout) they could get crushed. When I lived in Middleburg they still took the terriers out with them but they ran along and the fox was not hurt intentionally. The prick eared variety retained the Norwich name and the drop eared variety was dubbed Norfolk Terrier. Game and hardy, the little earth terriers were used as house and stable vermin exterminators. Carried in saddle bags they were taken on fox hunts to drive the fox from its lair when the hounds had forced it to ground. Norwich were often around horses and to this day the breed retains a special affinity for the species equine.

...but back then there were the local towns people that worked for the big estates and they had the rat terriers and when the Hunt was meeting that particular day at a particular estate the local people that worked for that Master of that hunt knew where they would be riding. Even today they do. When I lived in Middleburg I would sometimes drive out to certain covens and wait and sure enough they showed up. Now the towns people were there with the terriers and if the fox were chased and went to ground their job was to go in and bolt the fox so the Field would not be bored waiting around for the fox to finally take off. As far as the saddlebag yes at times but I think the rat terriers were not treated with such high esteem. The fox terriers or Boarders probably.
The images below of a terrier in its bag are courtesy of James Fagan Scharnberg

A little History of the Norfolk Terrier in Scandinavia Circa 1968
(Contributed by Frank Rogers)

The Norfolk was introduced to Scandinavia by Mrs. Hammarlund who in 1964 imported a dog, Swedish Ch. Colonsay Red Mouse (by Gotoground Mouser) and two bitches. Colonsay Punk
(ex Ch. Minx of Furzyhurst) and Swedish Ch. Colonsay Montelimar Della Pina ( by Gotoground Mouser ex Ch. Colonsay Pretty Royal).

Mrs. Braunerhjelm of the Samdemar Kennels, was the next one to fall for the breed and in 1966 she imported Swedish and Finnish Ch. Nanfan Hoppicker (brother of the famous Nanfan Heckle) and Swedish Ch. Nanfan Nullity ( a daughter of Ch. Nanfan Nimbus). Unfortunately Hoppicker was killed by a car in early 1967, but left a bitch puppy ex Nullity. Mrs. Braunerhjelm then bought Swedish Ch. Withalder We Westram (by Heckle), who is the sire of Nullity’s four puppies born in 1968.

There were about 25 Norfolks in Sweden in 1968, with 4 in Denmark, all four are English imports, and none in Norway. The number will increase steadily as the Norfolk’s attract a lot of attention wherever they are shown, as they are such sporting companions, the right size for our modern flats and hardy enough to put up with our trying climate. They should suit most Scandinavian families.

The following is a short story written by Sheila Monckton of Jericho Kennels, contributed by Frank Rogers

VIXEN AND TAN

          Early in the 1930’s, I was sitting and writing letters and two of my bitches were asleep at my feet, when suddenly they shot out of the room, and I heard their infuriated voices raised in the hall. I went out to find that the local Policeman had called to see my husband. I do not know if he thought the parlour maid was too slow in answering the door, anyway he walked into the house. That was as far as he got, for Vixen and Tan had got him cornered, and in between their barks took running nips at him if he moved. These same two did not always make a row when anything went wrong. Every night they would come upstairs   with me and sleep in their basket beside my bed. I always left the door open so that I could hear if my elder children cried in the night, as Nanny slept next to our youngest and their rooms were down the passage. One night I heard plop, plop, as Vixen and Tan hopped out of their basket and ran to the door, and then there was silence. On getting up to see what had disturbed them I saw a small figure in the moonlight. This was my eldest son Peter walking in his sleep. Thanks to these Norfolk Terriers waking me up and not waking my son, I got him back to bed without a mishap.

Sheila is said to have had Nannies and Parlor Maids and to have lived a very grand life! A quote from Sheila:
" I bought my first Norwich Terrier from Mr. P.V. W. Gell, a puppy called Red Squirrel, which I nicknamed Vixen, and then I bought Neachley Tan. It is from the latter bitch that I founded my Jericho kennel and all my terriers trace back to her".

The American Drop Ear Norwich Terrier
Contributed by Frank Rogers from an early publication

The American Drop Ear Norwich Terrier has improved a great deal in the last few years - and has held his own in competition, winning Best Of Breed at Westminster for the past two years. Although entry wise Westminster does not fare well because of the difficulty of staying three days in New York City it does carry weight because of its quality.

This years Specialty Show saw Mrs. Mallory's Wendover Half Pound win the Reserve Dog and my Mt. Paul Nanfan who won the Puppy Bitch Class, was the only Drop Eared entered. Mrs. Fournier's Bethway Bitter Sweet carried off Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex. All of these have English Ancestry close up.

Our two major problems, eyes and front, have improved a great deal. Coats and colour have always bred true in the Drop Ear and cause no concern. Size no longer makes a class appear uneven and they are a pleasure in motion.

Although we hae tried divided classes to encourage some of the many Drop Ear breeders to show, it has not brought out any more entries. The exhibiting breeders are very few, but conitnue to win their share of the Championship Points.

We have been extemely fortunate in having Mrs. Joy Taylor and Mrs. Marjorie Bunting to judge the Specialty Show in 1966 and 1968 and have benefited a great deal from their knowledge and advice.

As always, we watch the Norfolk Terrier news from England with great interest and count on occasional infusions of English lines to improve our type.

We wish the very best to all Norfolk breeders across the way.

Anne Winston

The Earth Stopper by R.E. Edgerton, Warburton, 1834

Terror of henroosts! now from hollow sand-earth,
Safely at nightfall, round the quiet farmstead,
Reynard on tiptoe, meditating plunder,
Warily prowleth,
Rouse thee, Earth-stopper! rouse thee from thy slumber!
Get thee thy worsted hose and winter coat on,
Whils the good housewife, crawling from her blanket,
Lights thee thy lantern,
Clad for thy midnight silent occupation,
Mount thy old dog-horse, spade upon thy shoulder,
Wiry-haired Vixen, where e'er thou wendest,
Ready to follow,
Though the chill rain drops, driven by the north wind,
Pelt thy old jacket, soaking through and through thee,
Though thy worn hackney, blind and broken winded,
Hobble on three legs;
Finish thy night work well, or woe betide thee!
If on the morrow irritated Huntsman,
Backed by a hundred followers in scarlet,
Finds the earth open!

"For Statistical Types" from a 1975 publication, contributed by Frank Rogers

The current roster of owners of Norwich Terriers shows they reside in 34 states, the District of Columbia, and 12 foreign countries. All are either members or subscribers to the News. Take a deep breath:

Arizona, 5; California, 21; Colorado, 8; Connecticut, 61; Delaware, 11; District of Columbia, 8; Florida, 25; Georgia, 1; Hawaii, 2; Idaho, 1; Illinois, 20; Indiana, 3; Iowa, 3; Kentucky, 2; Maine, 4; Maryland, 32; Massachusetts, 58; Michigan, 6; Minnesota, 5; Missouri, 3; North Carolina, 5; New Hampshire, 2; New Jersey, 80; New Mexico, 6, North Carolina, 2; New York, 101; Oregon, 13; Pennsylvania, 65; South Carolina, 8; Tennessee, 1; Texas, 5; Virginaia, 21, Vermont, 5; Washington, 1; and Wisconsin, 3.