Tudor Times
Tudor times
1500sOld Welsh land spaniels
1500sBasset and heavy hounds
1500sOld English Bulldog
1500sBeagle
1500sSkye Terrier
1500sEnglish Foxhound
1500sOtterhound
late 1500sLow-slung soldiers' dogs
1500sTurnspit Dog
1600sStaghound
1600sOld toy spaniels
1600sWater spaniels
1600sBearded Collie
Tudor Britain
Britain's bond with dogs stretches back deep into the Middle Ages, when hounds were prized hunting partners of kings and nobles. By the Tudor age, dogs had also become beloved companions, doted on at the royal court itself.
The forest laws were among the most resented in medieval England, with even a harmless guard dog lamed simply for living near royal land. Yet within a few centuries the mood had utterly changed. At the Tudor court, Henry VIII's pampered lapdogs wore velvet collars stamped with the gold Tudor rose, and Anne Boleyn doted on a little dog named Purkoy. The dog as a treasured companion, not just a working animal, was already taking shape.
- Norman kings set aside up to a third of England as royal forest, where only the king could hunt.
- Commoners living near a forest had to have their dogs 'lawed', having three toes chopped off, to stop them chasing the king's game.
- By Tudor times, Henry VIII kept spaniels, beagles and greyhounds, and owned sixty-five dog leashes.
- Ladies of the court adored their little lapdogs, which they fondly called 'comforters'.
Did you know?
Anne Boleyn so loved her lapdog Purkoy that when he died in a fall, no one at court dared to tell her the news.
Did you know?
Medieval law valued a dog by its job, with a shepherd's dog, a guard dog and a hunting hound each worth a different sum.
Did you know?
Mastiff-type 'bandogs' were chained up by day and let loose at night to guard farms from thieves and even wolves.
Did you know?
One of the first books written in English, 'The Master of Game' from around 1406, was a guide to hunting hounds and their care.