Golden Retriever OriginEverything we know about the Golden Retriever origin was carefully recorded by Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, the first Lord Tweedmouth, in a stud book. The Kennel Club in London, England is currently the proud owner of this important document. From these records, we know that Lord Tweedmouth's first yellow retriever was a single yellow pup from a litter of black wavy-coated pups. The yellow pup was obtained from a Brighton cobbler, who had received the puppy from a gamekeeper as payment of a debt. This puppy, called Nous (Gaelic for "wisdom"), was born in June 1864. He is considered to be the foundation sire of the breed. Mrs. NousThe other half of Lord Tweedmouth's breeding program was a Tweed Water Spaniel named Belle.
These dogs were known for their swimming ability, superior intelligence and wonderful temperaments. They were medium in size, liver colored (any shade of yellow to brown) and had a tightly curled coat with very little feathering. All retriever breeds share a similar genetic origin. One of the things that separates the Golden from the other retriever breeds is this Tweed Water Spaniel ancestry. The Family GrowsThis mating resulted in a litter of four yellow puppies. These four puppies were named Crocus, Ada, Cowslip and Primrose. They formed the foundation stock that established Golden Retrievers as a distinct breed. Some Kids Move AwayCrocus, the only male pup, was given to the Hon. Edward Marjoribanks (the second Lord Tweedmouth).
He established his own purebred line of Golden Retrievers with Ada as the central figure. Much beloved by the Earl, Ada's gravestone can still be found on the Ilchester estate at Melbury, England. It's inscribed to "Ada--with the Golden Hair." And Others Stay HomeCowslip and Primrose were kept in the home kennel for Lord Tweedmouth's carefully planned dog breeding program.Cowslip was subsequently bred to Tweed, another Tweed Water Spaniel, and later to Sampson, a Red Setter. This Setter breeding was done to improve scenting abilities and to fix the color. Majoribanks, along with various family members who were also dedicated sportsmen, eventually created a distinctive strain of gifted retrievers. Word Gets AroundThe Tweedmouth hunting dogs were greatly admired for both their beauty and their unparalleled retrieving abilities.Because they were owned by prominent families, they were seen and eventually acquired by other wealthy sportsmen as they visited one another's estates for shooting parties.
Fortunately, Lord Tweedmouth's stud book clearly establishes the Golden Retriever origin. He painstakingly documented all his efforts from 1868, the date of the first litter, to 1890 when the book ends. He passed away in 1894. As a result of many thoughtfully planned matings, he established the much-loved and distinctive Golden Retriever breed. Search here for more information on Golden Retrievers |
The now-extinct Tweed Water Spaniel was a popular hunting breed of the region.
Ada was given to Lord Tweedmouth's nephew, the fifth Earl of Ilchester.
During this time there were other sportsmen who obtained dogs from Lord Tweedmouth and no doubt bred Golden-type dogs, but none kept the detailed records necessary to document a formal dog breeding program.
