Rev. John Russell
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Trump
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Swimbridge, Devon
Reverend John Russell was a great
sporting enthusiast along with his wife Penelope. He established a pack of
terriers which were bred
down from his now famous terrier called Trump. It is reported that he acquired
this terrier whilst he was a student at
Blundell's School, Tiverton. Rather than spending all of his time in the
classroom, the Reverend preferred to spend his time walking the country lanes
and would take his studies with him. It was on one of these such occasions
whilst out walking that he came across a local milkman and his very handsome
terrier bitch. It was not long before John Russell had purchased the terrier
from which the Jack Russell Terriers of today descend. Little did he know how
popular these great little terriers would become throughout the world.
During 1833 the Rev. John Russell moved to Swimbridge, a beautiful village set in the rolling hills of North Devon. It was a large parish which included Landkey and Gunn and although at first services were poorly attended, it was not long before the Reverend Jack (as he was known) had 4 regular services in the village and had provided a curate for Landkey out of his own funds. He had stone kennels constructed to house his terriers which were merely small caves built with local stone, curved roof arches for embankment support and stone flags for flooring. The iron hinge pins still remain, set into the stonework on the front of the kennels, originally there would have been some form of door on the front of the kennels to protect them from the elements It is thought that these small kennels (5 in all) could accommodate up to 8 terriers and therefore it was possible for a pack of 40 terriers to be kennelled there at any one time.
Hunting and the clergy was a common association at this time, and John Russell was a popular man, well respected within the hunting fraternity for his amazing stamina and endurance, something he carried on into his old age. News of the Reverend's hunting prowess soon spread far and wide and it was in 1865 that the Prince of Wales invited the vicar to dine with him in Plymouth. They became good friends and often visited the Prince who invited him to preach the 1873 Christmas sermon at Sandringham. The Prince joined the Reverend on a hunting expedition along with Prince Louis of Battenburg. During this friendship the Reverend commissioned a painting of Trump which he gave to the Prince as a gift and it still hangs in the harness room at Sandringham Palace.
Rev. John Russell died in 1883 and was buried next to his wife in the graveyard of St James Church, Swimbridge, Devon. A stained glass window was erected in the church in his memory.
During 1833 the Rev. John Russell moved to Swimbridge, a beautiful village set in the rolling hills of North Devon. It was a large parish which included Landkey and Gunn and although at first services were poorly attended, it was not long before the Reverend Jack (as he was known) had 4 regular services in the village and had provided a curate for Landkey out of his own funds. He had stone kennels constructed to house his terriers which were merely small caves built with local stone, curved roof arches for embankment support and stone flags for flooring. The iron hinge pins still remain, set into the stonework on the front of the kennels, originally there would have been some form of door on the front of the kennels to protect them from the elements It is thought that these small kennels (5 in all) could accommodate up to 8 terriers and therefore it was possible for a pack of 40 terriers to be kennelled there at any one time.
Hunting and the clergy was a common association at this time, and John Russell was a popular man, well respected within the hunting fraternity for his amazing stamina and endurance, something he carried on into his old age. News of the Reverend's hunting prowess soon spread far and wide and it was in 1865 that the Prince of Wales invited the vicar to dine with him in Plymouth. They became good friends and often visited the Prince who invited him to preach the 1873 Christmas sermon at Sandringham. The Prince joined the Reverend on a hunting expedition along with Prince Louis of Battenburg. During this friendship the Reverend commissioned a painting of Trump which he gave to the Prince as a gift and it still hangs in the harness room at Sandringham Palace.
Rev. John Russell died in 1883 and was buried next to his wife in the graveyard of St James Church, Swimbridge, Devon. A stained glass window was erected in the church in his memory.
