The Family Tree of Montrose Dan (1918-19?)
Genealogy – it’s become a trendy topic in light of the many companies that now offer DNA testing to help us find our relatives. But have you considered looking into your dog’s genealogy? Many services offer DNA testing for pets, but a hundred years ago, these tests weren’t an option. This will come as no surprise to anyone involved in animal husbandry, but for us lay animal lovers, the only option then was keeping records, much in the way we keep vital records for humans. Here at the History Center, we have a few of those records from 19th and 20th century Thomas County.
Here’s an example pulled from the Hopkins Collection – the Stud Book of Montrose Dan (1978.010.1202). Montrose Dan (1918-19?) was a Llewellen Setter that belonged to Henry William Hopkins Sr. (1850-1945). With white and black patches and little black ticks all over, Llewellen must have been a very handsome pupper… er, dog. As a registered dog under the FDSB (that’s Field Dog Stud Book – the oldest purebred dog registry in the United States), his genealogy is recorded in some of Hopkins’s notebooks, including lists of his many, many progeny. There are several of these little notebooks in our collections covering various species from prize cows to Beagle pups to chickens – but with a name like Montrose Dan, I had to have a closer look at this one.
The inside of the front cover on this book lays out an impressive family history for little Monty (FDSB No. 50469). His mother (the dam for those of us out of the dog business) was named Kennesaw Baby (FDSB No. 38933). While she seems to have been a fine mother, a note in her files listed her as “badly gun shy,” a terrible fate for a hunting dog. Kennesaw Baby was descended from Lady Mohawk Bell (FDSB No. 30563) and Momoney (FDSB No. 24508). I can only speculate on whether Momoney really brought his owner more money or not. Lady Mohawk was the daughter of Lady Chipewa (FDSB No. 10773), herself a daughter of Prince Rodney, and Sims Glenwood Boy (FDSB No. 17727), son of Mohawk II. Momoney was the son of the less pretentious Una (FDSB No. 24507) and her royal but unregistered beau, Prince Algonquin.
Montrose Dan’s paternal lineage is not quite so royal sounding as his maternal side. His father (or sire) was also named Montrose (FDSB No. 25954), the son of Countess Patsy Whitestone (FDSB No. 16036) and… Mohawk (FDSB No. 24504). If this is the Mohawk who would be the father of Mohawk II (and I’m pretty certain it is) that would make Montrose I the great great uncle of Kennesaw Baby! This is turn makes Montrose Dan his own uncle and nephew. While this might seem scandalous to our modern eyes, we must remember that attitudes were different then – especially for royalty. Going back further on this paternal line, Countess Patsy Whitestone was the daughter of Bessie Perry Gath (FDSB No. 4636) and Count Whitestone (FDSB No. 603) while Mohawk I was the son of Countess Metior (FDSB No. 556) and Tony Boy (FDSB No. 541).
If this seems like a rather confusing family tree (or maybe family wreath), just wait until you hear about his descendants! As a purebred, registered setter, Montrose Dan was in hot demand. Hopkins mentions in his book that prior to 1923, Montrose had been bred to several ladies already. Over 1923, some of these lucky ladies included Gene Elkwood (FDSB No. 51102) and Marie Louise Gladstone (number unknown). Then there was Lasuppera (FDSB No. 63896) whose owner was a James Sturgeon of Oklahoma, an unnamed lady who was stolen before the puppies were born, a lady who littered twice in one year, Blanch C (FDSB No. 60483) and her daughter Lady Stella Bragg (FDSB No. 65500) from Bainbridge, and Ruth Walston (FDSB No. 50762) of Moultrie. There were at least 54 reported puppies born in that year.
After 1923, it seems nature decided there was enough of Montrose Dan in this world. He was bred several more times over the next four years, but few of these chance encounters led to puppies. The last mention of him is in 1927 when he was about nine years old. Let’s hope Montrose Dan spent his golden years in a comfortable retirement on the Hopkins farm.
In looking over these records, I have to wonder – are there any descendants of Montrose Dan still out there? Numbers-wise there more than likely has to be someone out there with a dog who can trace their lineage back to Montrose Dan. It might just be your own furry companion!
