My Grandmother Gladys Sarah Hodgins’ (1894-1984) Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Figurine
by Judy Luker Massey
My dad, Sam Luker recalls from his earliest memories having this just under 6” figurine in his childhood home in London, Ontario, Canada…
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| Gladys (Hodgins) Luker's figurine, now in the possession of her granddaughter, Judy Luker Massey. |
We suspect that it came over from Ireland with one of his great-grandparents’ families is the mid 1800’s - the Hill, Culbert, Crawley, or Hodgins family. These families came to Canada in the mid 1800’s and settled in the Lucan area which is about a 30-minute drive northwest of London, Ontario.
As I began to research this small figurine, I asked the older members of my family where it might have originated. The answer I received from them was that it had always, to their knowledge, been in the family. I am curious as to who might have carried it with them to Canada from Ireland as one of their few valued possessions. I also wonder if there might have been a pair of dogs at one point, and that one perhaps might have been broken. These questions so far remain unanswered.
My research has revealed that this Cavalier King Charles Spaniel figurine might be a Staffordshire dog but then again it could also just be a knockoff.
The figurines were modelled after the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
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| A pair of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Image via Wikipedia. |
The dogs are named after King Charles ll of England (1600-1649) who surrounded himself with these small little dogs at court. However, it was Queen Victoria in the 1840’s who brought the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels into popularity. She loved spaniels and this attracted the attention of the Staffordshire potters in the mid-19th century. Queen Victoria’s well-loved spaniel, “Dash,” became the popular model for not only figurines but also for paintings and drawings.
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| Queen Victoria with Dash, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. |
The original Staffordshire dogs were a quintessential Victorian bourgeois status symbol and a necessary decoration for the mantelpiece. Originals can be identified as they may reveal fine brush strokes on them while the modern replicas were often coloured using swabs or sponges. As their popularity increased towards the 19th century, their quality began to decline and thousands of these figurines were made in various sizes.
The earliest Staffordshire dogs had rounded and painted backs but by the 1800’s the backs were usually flat and not always painted. They also contained less detail. This made them cheaper to produce. My figurine has a flat unpainted back with wavy lines in the ceramic. I cannot discern any fine brush stokes on it. My dog also has no opening between its feet like some figures do. Those with open feet are much rarer. Many of these dogs were part of a right/left pair. However, they were also seen in groupings with some central figures. My figurine is facing forward and not to the side.
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| Gladys (Hodgins) Luker's figurine, now in the possession of her granddaughter, Judy Luker Massey. |
The mass-produced ceramic dogs were meant to be sold cheaply in the street to working folk. They were also used as prizes at fairs and markets. They were inexpensive, simple, and charming, and became very popular. They were sometimes called “Pot Dogs” or “China Dogs,” “Fireplace Dogs” and “Hearth Spaniels.” In Scotland they were called “Wally Dugs.” Some stories about them say they were called “Comforters” and were sold outside premises that sold alcohol. They were purchased, some believe, by husbands who hoped to gain comfort rather than conflict from their wives.
Another tale is that a woman could place these ornaments in her front window. If the dogs were placed back to back, it meant that the woman’s husband was home. If her husband was away from home or was at sea, the pair would be moved to face each other. This new positioning of the dogs sent a message to the woman’s lover. He would know when he passed by her house that it was safe to visit without her husband being aware of it.
Antique Staffordshire figurine dogs were produced from 1720-1900 and are brick red, brown and black, although some were also white. Although they were originally designed to be put on fireplace mantels during the Victorian Era, they were seen in windows and many other locations of the house as well. Many pottery companies made them in the Staffordshire area of England where there was plenty of clay and coal to fire them. Too many figurines were created for us to definitively assume that they were all made out of English clay.
Unlike the originals that were made with press molds, the cheaper ceramic reproductions were made from liquid clay called “slip” which was poured into molds. This left slight indentations. Potters fired the clay once it was dry. Several coats of clear glaze were painted on. Then the clay was fired again, this time at a higher temperature. After the second firing, the item was hand painted with China paint. Children as young as six years old often worked on the originals with their mothers. Some sources say these children were paid two shillings a week for the work they did such as painting several layers of gold on the chains that decorated the spaniels. These dogs were never intended to be high quality porcelain, so are not perfectly formed or painted.
Reproductions will have a large hole in the bottom, the size of which may be as large as a quarter. Originals will have just a tiny hole in the bottom or side that let the steam out in the kiln. Mine has one small hole in the base.
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| Base of Judy's figurine showing one small hole which proves it's an orginal and not a reproduction. |
The Staffordshire dogs dropped out of favour until the 1920’s and 1930’s when reproductions filled the market and originals brought in high prices. By 1940 the high prices had dropped. Antique dogs today show some wear and almost all of them do not have any markings on the bottom. However, there were some small white dogs created that say they were made in Kent, England. There were also numerous other figurines created besides spaniels, including other breeds of dogs.
My unusual looking little dog makes me smile every time I look at it. Whether it is a real Staffordshire dog or a later replica, I may never know. What I do know, however, is that it is a link to the past and my Irish family who have enjoyed the company of this curious little dog for most likely 100 years or more.
I welcome any thoughts that my Culbert cousins may have as to my spaniel’s origin or history.
Best regards,
Judy Luker Massey – 2Xgreat-granddaughter of Susan Culbert & Philip Crawley, and 3xgreat-granddaughter of John Culbert & Mary Ward.
Note: Anyone wishing to contact Judy can reach her by sending an email to me and I'll forward it to Judy.
Many Scottish homes had a Wally Dug (china dog) on the mantelpiece. There were often two - one on each side. This is an anonymous poem, found here about one of them.
Many Scottish homes had a Wally Dug (china dog) on the mantelpiece. There were often two - one on each side. This is an anonymous poem, found here about one of them.
The Wally Dug
I aye mind o' that wee hoose that stood on the brae,Its lum was aye reekin', its roof made o' stray.
The ootside was bonny, the inside was snug,
But whit I mind best o' was the wee wally dug. It stood in a corner, high up on the shelf,
And keepit an ee on the best o' the delf.
It was washed twice a year, frae its tail tae its lug,
And pit back on the shelf, was the wee wally dug,.
When oor John got mairrit tae sweet Jeannie Blue,
The auld folks they gied him a horse an' a coo,
But when I left the hoose, ma hert gied a tug,
For a' mither gied me was the wee wally dug.
There's an auld saying, 'Ne'er look a gift horse in the moo',
But I looked that wee dug frae its tail tae its broo'
An' a fun' a wee slit at the back o' its lug,
It was stuffed fu' o' notes, was the wee wally dug.
I tain it hame tae oor Lizzle tae pit on a shelf,
An' I telt her the worth o' that wee bit o' delf.
An' we aye feed it yet through that hole in its lug,
It's a guid bit o' stuff, is the wee wally dug.
Meaning of unusual words:
aye=always
brae=hill
lum=chimney
reekin'=smoking
stray=straw
lug=ear
delf=earthenware
gied=gave
moo'=mouth
broo'=brow
fun'=found
