Jack Russell (priest)

Russell was born on 21 December 1795 in Dartmouth, South Devon, the eldest son of John Russell and Honor, nee Terrell.{{cite DNB|wstitle=Russell, John (1795-1883)|volume=49|page=464}}

His father, John, was a member of the clergy, holding parishes at Crediton, Iddesleigh, and Jacobstowe in Devon, and also St Juliot in Cornwall, and was himself the son of Michael who was Rector of Meeth.{{Cite book |last=Noon |first=Charles |title=Parson Jack Russell: The Hunting Legend 1795-1883 |publisher=Halsgrove |year=2000 |isbn=1841140503 |location=Tiverton}} Jack's mother Honor was from the Terrell family, who had significant means, and following the marriage funding was made available for John Senior to open a school at Belmont House, Dartmouth, which was a boarding Grammar School for six "young gentlemen as boarders". It was whilst at Belmont House that the couple had their first two children, with older sister Nora born in 1793, followed by John in 1795. After the death of Honor's father, the couple moved to Calstock, Cornwall, and John Senior became the curate of Southill. During this time the couple had two further children - younger siblings to Jack - Michael and William.

Jack was educated at Plympton Grammar School, and in 1809 started attending his father's old school at Blundell's, Tiverton.{{cite web |url=http://www.blundells.org/admin/school_notable-obs.htm#18thc |title=Famous OBs |publisher=blundells.org |accessdate=13 April 2011 |archive-date=5 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605030731/http://www.blundells.org/admin/school_notable-obs.htm#18thc |url-status=dead }} Whilst at Blundell's he formed a scratch hunting pack of hounds, but this was seen as a serious infraction by the headmaster.

Jack left Blundell's at the end of the summer term in 1814. In late autumn, he attended Exeter College, Oxford, graduating with the lowest class of degree (a Third) on 15 December 1818. Whilst at university he hunted with the Heythrop Hunt, Old Berks Hunt, and the Bicester Hunt.

According to local legend, it was at Exeter College where he spotted a little white terrier with dark tan spots over her eyes, ears and at the tip of her tail, who was owned by a local milkman in a nearby small hamlet, identified as either Elsfield{{cite book|last=Davies|first=Norman|title=Europe: A History|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=1 January 1996|page=343|isbn=978-0-19-820171-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jrVW9W9eiYMC&pg=PA343}} or Marston.{{Cite web |url=http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisureold/pasttimes/1146438.from_the_civil_war_to_jack_russell_breed/ |title=From the civil war to Jack Russell breed by Chris Koenig, Oxford Times 25 January 2007 |access-date=3 April 2016 |archive-date=16 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116031320/https://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisureold/pasttimes/1146438.from_the_civil_war_to_jack_russell_breed/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.jack-russell-terrier.co.uk/breed/history_of_the_breed.html |title=A brief history of the Jack Russell - Jack Russell Terrier UK |publisher=Jack-russell-terrier.co.uk |accessdate=13 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402040423/http://www.jack-russell-terrier.co.uk/breed/history_of_the_breed.html |archivedate=2 April 2011 }} Russell bought the dog on the spot and this animal, called "Trump", became the foundation of a line of fox hunting terriers that became known as Jack Russell Terriers. They were well-suited by the shortness and strength of their legs for digging out foxes which had "gone to earth" having been hunted over-ground by fox hounds.

Russell was a founding member of The Kennel Club.{{cite web |url=http://dogwebs.net/PlentifulRun/aboutus.asp |title=Plentiful Run Parson Russell Terriers - About Us |publisher=Dogwebs.net |accessdate=13 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723102613/http://dogwebs.net/PlentifulRun/aboutus.asp |archivedate=23 July 2011 }} He helped to write the breed standard for the Fox Terrier (Smooth) and became a respected judge. He did not show his own fox terriers on the conformation bench, saying that the difference between his dogs and the conformation dogs could be likened to the difference between wild and cultivated flowers.

He became a Master of Otter Hounds, and this is noted by George Templer of Stover, Master of the South Devon Foxhounds in a poem "A Party at Stover in 1823". Russell hunted regularly with the South Devon Hunt, despite living over 30 miles from the kennels. In 1828, he received a draft of six and a half couple (13) hounds from the Vine Hunt (now the Vine and Craven Hunt) and he became a Master of Foxhounds, maintaining his own pack until 1871. When Russell retired his hounds, his country was split between three packs - the Eggesford Hunt, the Torrington Farmer's Hunt, and Lord Poltimore's pack.

In 1823, Jack was a founder member of the Teignbridge Cricket Club, along with friend George Templer.

Russell was ordained as a deacon in 1819 and started as curate at South Molton, and became a priest in 1820. After six years he moved to Iddesleigh which was his father's old parish.{{Cite news |date=5 May 1883 |title=Death of the Rev. John Russell |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000218/18830505/005/0002 |work=Alnwick Mercury}}

In 1832, Russell was appointed a permanent curacy of Swymbridge-cum-Traveller's Rest (now Swimbridge) on the edge of Exmoor in North Devon. At Swimbridge, Russell enjoyed a hectic social life, with formal dining, charity fundraising, and active participation as a Freemason.{{cite web |url = http://caninechronicle.com/current-articles/parson-john-jack-russell-and-the-jack-russell-terrier/ |title = Parson John (Jack) Russell and the Jack Russell Terrier |last= Hörter|first= Ria|year= 2012|publisher = The Canine Chronicle |access-date = 16 April 2019 }} The local public house was renamed the "Jack Russell Inn" and still stands today.

Russell stayed at Swimbridge for nearly 50 years before accepting the rectory at Black Torrington,Vivian, p.499 at the urging of Lord Poltimore. The noted Historian WG Hoskins described Russell as "futile" Devon by W.G.Hoskins. Pub. David & Charles : Newton Abbot. 1978.Page 100.{{clarify|date=October 2024}}

In 1826, at Swimbridge he married Penelope Incledon-Bury, third daughter and co-heiress of Vice-Admiral Richard Incledon-Bury (1757-1825), Royal Navy, lord of the manor of Colleton, Chulmleigh in Devon,Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.499, pedigree of Incledon who resided at Dennington, Swimbridge, and was also a keen fox hunter.

On 29 May 1827, a year and a day after they were married, the couple had a child, named John Bury, who died soon after and was buried on 31 May. Their second child was born on 23 August 1828, and called Richard Bury.

Russell is said to have had expensive sporting habits both on and off the hunting-field, which drained the substantial resources of his heiress wife and left the estate of Colleton in poor condition.Lauder, Rosemary Anne, A Tale of Two Rivers, Bideford, 1986, p.72

Penelope died on the eve on their fiftieth wedding anniversary, in 1876.

Russell died on 28 April 1883 at Black Torrington Receptory, and was buried in the churchyard of St. James's Church, Swimbridge, where he had served as vicar for nearly 50 years.{{cite web|url=http://www.swimbridgeparishchurch.org/history.html|title=History of Swimbridge Parish Church of St. James|publisher=swimbridgeparishchurch.org|accessdate=4 December 2013}}

• Jack Russell Terrier
• Parson Russell Terrier
• Russell Terrier

{{Reflist}}

• Parson Jack Russell: The Hunting Legend 1795-1883 by Charles Noon, Halsgrove Publishers.
• {{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography| year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press}}
• Baker, Margaret Mitford. Jack Russell, hunting parson of old Devon. Devon Life vol. 7 no. 56 (1971) pp. 37. [1796-1833]
• Davies, E.W.L. A memoir of the Rev. John Russell and his out-of-door life. (New ed.) London: Richard Bentley & Son, (1883), portrait, xii, 397 pp. [Index]
• Kerr, Eleanor. Hunting parson: the life and times of the Reverend John Russell. London: Herbert Jenkins (1963) 192p, plates: ill.
• Lamplugh, Lois. Parson Jack Russell of Swimbridge. Swimbridge: Wellspring (1994) [ii], 27p: ill, ports [{{ISBN|0951534734}}]
• Noon, C. Parson Jack Russell: The Hunting Legend 1995–1883, Halsgrove Press, Tiverton (2000) 144 pp. [{{ISBN|1841140503}}]
• Pepper, Frank S. Parson Jack Russell. Swimbridge: Church Council (1981) 8p. [Westcountry Studies Library - p920/RUS]
• Lifetime Passion for All Forms of Hunting: The Sporting Parson The Reverend John Russell. Devon Family Historian 84 (1997) pp. 2–3. [The Hunting Parson who bred the Jack Russell terrier]

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Category:Dog breeders

Category:People from Dartmouth, Devon

Category:1795 births

Category:1883 deaths

Category:Masters of foxhounds in England

Category:People educated at Blundell's School

Category:Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford

Category:Church of England clergy