HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH MASTIFF
Hellingly Kennels, c. 1935.
Anecdotes extolling the power and agility of Masti ff s as well as their devotion to their masters would fi ll a large volume of marvels. Th e story of St. Peers Legh, Knight of Lyme Hall at the Battle of Agincourt, is well known. He brought his favorite Mas- ti ff , a bitch, to France, and when he fell, she stood over him and defended him many hours until he was picked up by English sol- diers and carried to Paris where he died of his wounds. Th e faith- ful Masti ff was returned to England and from her are descended the famous Lyme Hall strain which the family has bred over a period of fi ve centuries. Th e present-day English Masti ff is based on the strains of Lyme Hall and that of the Duke of Devonshire’s Kennels at Chatsworth. Th e fi rst documented Masti ff in what is now known as the United States was “Grace,” an arrival in the fall of 1620 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, aboard the May fl ower. Th e fi rst indica-
A young Mastiff breeder/owner-handler, Damara Bolte, and her young pup.
tions of the continuation of the Masti ff in the United States after 1620 were in the late 1800s with the fi rst AKC reg- istration in 1885. In 1889, there were 373 registered Masti ff s; in 2018, there were 4,045. Today’s Masti ff in Amer- ica is a gentle giant, bred for its even temperament and a love of family.
ANECDOTES EXTOLLING THE POWER AND AGILITY OF MASTIFFS AS WELL AS THEIR DEVOTION TO THEIR MASTERS WOULD FILL A LARGE VOLUME OF MARVELS.”
220 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2020
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