(Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange)
(Zardin's 2nd owner)
Author S Tillotson, 2011
Acknowledgement: I would like to thank Janice Healey (a resident of South East London), and also thank Hannah Walker, Editor in Chief, of The South London Press (http://www.southlondon-today.co.uk/) for their invaluable assistance and research which made this article possible.
Introduction
Mr Shackleton/Zardin
Zardin is an important dog in the breed as he is the Afghan Hound upon which the breed standard is based. I have always been intrigued by the fact that only scant information exists about his second owner Mr Shackleton. All we knew was that Mr Shackleton was a "dog dealer" with a business in Leadenhall Market in the City Of London and that shortly after Mr Barff sold Zardin to Mr Shackleton that all of Mr Shackletons dogs mysteriously died. The assumption being this was due to "distemper" devestating his kennels
Thats just about all we know about Mr Shackleton. I wanted to find out more about Mr Shackleton. This was a challenging research project and several months elapsed before I eventually started to get some success in my research and obtain some information from several overseas research sources -
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Mr Shackleton - New Information
1. Mr Shackleton - House In South East London, Enland
Above is a photo of the house owned by Mr Shackleton in South East London, and where he lived at the time he owned Zardin. The photo is taken from an archive that records the date of photograph as being 1935
2. Mr Shackleton (the "Squire")
Mr Shackleton listed his name as Squire Butler Shackleton. He was born in 1848 in Bingley, Yorkshire (Northern England), he died on 12/2/1923 in Bermondsey, (South East London, England).
Lets first deal with that title "Squire" - In older/heraldic days, a Squire was a young nobleman who attended upon a knight. In more modern times, say 1950's the term was in common use. It usually implied the person was a landowner, or a local dignitary. As a boy myself in the 1950's I was used to hearing the term in London. Typically when one man met another male stranger and did not know the strangers name he would use the term "Squire" as a respectful way of addressing the stranger,. It was a kind of informal title as part of greeting someone. So the title Squire is not a "high" aristocratic title by any means. Some people would call themselves a squire to try and promote their importance/standing in the local community. My two eldest brothers, (typical London Boys), routinely used the word Squire when talking about other boys/men they worked with.
3 Mr Shackleton, Family and Occupation/s
Our overseas researcher traced Mr Shackleton in the 1851, 1861, 1871, 1891, 1901 and 1911 Census in which his occupation was given as Leather Dresser and then Leather Dyer.
Also living with him in 1901 was his nephew John William Carr aged 21 salesman born Lainsborough, Lincolnshire and Alfred Lyle servant single aged 19 Kennel man born Balham, S.W. London. By the 1911 Census he had moved and was living in Bermondsey (South East London) aged 63 occupation Dog Dealer wife Elizabeth aged 63 born Retford, Nottinghamshire and Arthur Birch, Kennelman, Workman, single aged 25 occupation Kennelman born Leeds, Yorkshire.
Squire Shackleton married Elizabeth Littlewood in 1885 she was born in 1848 in Retford, Nottinghamshire. On the 1891 Census there surname was misspelt as Shackelton and they had 2 sons Thomas Sutcliff born Lenton, Nottingham 1886 and John Edward born Castleton, Lancs. 1888 both died in the October-December quarter 1891 in Greenwich, London registration district.
Squire Shackleton left a will and the details that appear in the Will Index are as follows: Shackleton, Squire of Bermondsey, Surrey and of Leadenhall Market, Middlesex died 12/2/1923 in Bermondsey. Probate London 26/2/1923 to Arthur Shackleton, manufacturer and Albert Over, live stock dealer. Effects (pounds sterling) 681 12s..(that would be about 9,000 pounds sterling in 2010). His wife Elizabeth having died in 1922.
4. Some Points Ariising
We are continuing to research Mr Shackleton, but herebelow are some inteim points arising
- Our breed books refer to Mr Shackleton as a "dog dealer:. The information above confirms this to be correct as confirmed by Mr Shackleton's census returns where he declared his occupation to be a Dog Dealer
- Shackleton ownership of Zardin varied - In 1910 Owner was given as Mr S Shackleton and in 1911 Owner was given as A Shackleton. We find no reference yet to S Shackleton (unless it was the S taken from "Squire Shackleton" and was a reference to Mr Shackleton himself?), but we do find (see will/probate ref above) an Arthur Shackleton. However, Arthur Shackleton is not listed as either of Mr Shackletons recorded sons, so presumably it is another family member (Shackletons brother or other family member?)
5. AHT (S Tillotson) Additional Comments
Being a London boy myself, I am familiar with the area in South East London where Mr Shackleton lived. The house shown at the top of this page was probably built early 20th century so it would have been fairly new when Shackleton acquired it. This area of London is very much a working class area, and the house is a level of housing above this.. Typically a business person, professional etc would be able to afford the house, the working class would have lived in more modest houses. often terraced blocks. The fact that Mr Shackleton could afford such a property suggests that Mr Shackleton was a successful business person and could thus afford the upmarket house. The back garden ('or "Yard" as Americans call it) would have been quite long (likely 200 plus ft, looking at arial views of the property. Sufficient for Mr Shackleton to have kennels on the property. We do not know if Mr Shackleton kept his dogs in a kennel at his home property, or at his business property in Leadenhall Market, but we presume the former rather than the latter
Our research source is not absolutely sure the photo below is of Mr Shackleton's house because a range of house numbers is shown on the arial view/map. However our research source state that they believe it is the actual house, and in any event, the view of the lengthy back garden/yard is typical, and as mentioned above. The supposed property is marked with the white border in the photo above to idenfity it..
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The will/probate details above confirm that Shackleton had his business premises at Leadenhall Market in the City Of London. For those readers not familiar with London, Bermondsy is just outside the "City" of London and would have involved a short commute of 30 mins by Shackleton from his home to his place of business.
In the era of the early 1900's it was quite common for the middle/upper classes in England to employ "Servants". Interesting to note that Shackleton employed Alfred Lyle "servant" single, aged 19, Kennel man born Balham, London. (Ed note, Balham, is another working class area, south west of the City of London).
6. Adittional Photos
Link - Gallery of Photo's For The Area Where Mr Shackleton Lived
7. Future Research
The above involved months of challenging research. We hope to continue with further research and will update this article as and when new information is uncovered.
Steve Tillotson, May 2011
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