Mrs. I.H. Barr registered her first hounds in 1921, although in one advertisement for the kennel it is stated that she started it in 1919. Her home was at Knoll Cottage, Mayes Green, Ockley, near Dorking in the Surrey hills, with 150 acres of pasture for exercising and with the dogs allowed to roam at will over a large meadow. Each kennel stood on a bed of chalk and was situated within a large paddock. In all the grounds ran to 200 acres.
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| Mrs. Barr with puppies by Felixstowe Kilshane ex Sincerity of Grevel |
The hounds she started with were a dog, Courage of Grevel, born October 13th, 1919, bred by the Rev. Hildebrand, by Felixstowe Kilgerran out of Sarah, and a bitch, Destiny of Grevel, born October 30th, 1919, and bred by Isaac Everett, by Felixstowe Regan out of Jess of Midlothian. Courage was to become a champion and a popular sire, having the most wonderful nature. Phyllis Gardner said of him "A very much admired hound, and said to have "an angelic disposition". He was the sire of Ch. King Shane of Brabyns.
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| Courage of Grevel with a granddaughter | Ch. Courage of Grevel |
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| Ch. Courage of Grevel | This photograph of Courage appeared in an advertisement for wolfhounds as guard dogs |
| Destiny of Grevel |  |
The first Grevel litter was born August 8th, 1921, by Courage out of Destiny, from which Chance of Grevel was registered to the home kennel, a bitch, Demeter of Grevel, was registered by Mrs. B.I. Glynn, and two bitches, Brua and Stella, were registered by Mr. R.T. Pearson, with a dog being registered by Capt. Hudson as Owen Oge of Brabyns (later sold on and his name changed to Owen Oge of Rockburn). In March, 1923, Demeter of Grevel was transferred back to Mrs. Barr and her name was later changed to Dauntless of Grevel..
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| Dauntless of Grevel | |
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Dauntless of Grevel |
The Courage-Destiny mating was repeated and the second litter whelped on October 26th, 1922, with Cheerful, Desiree, Gravity, Modesty and Warrior of Grevel coming from it. On the same day, Isaac Everett had a litter by Felixstowe Conbec out of Felixstowe Fota, from which Mrs. Barr took a puppy, Lady Grevel of Grevel. Desiree was later transferred to the Brabyns kennel of Capt. T.H. Hudson, and her name changed to Nessa of Brabyns.
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Lady Grevel of Grevel |
On October 19th, 1923, the third Courage-Destiny litter was whelped, from which came Charity (b), Chivalry (d), Concord (d), Flighty (b), Prince (d), Pugnacity (b), Sincerity (b), Tranquillity (b), and Vanity of Grevel (b), all apparently retained in the home kennel since no transfers were recorded.
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| Charity of Grevel | |
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| Chivalry of Grevel | Concord of Grevel |
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| Pugnacity of Grevel | Vanity of Grevel |
Prince of Grevel was used at stud and among his progeny was Dignity of Grevel, born December 13, 1926 out of Chulainn Duskie (a daughter of Garrick out of Deborah and born 25 March 1925):
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| Dignity of Grevel |
Mrs. Barr obviously spent much time training the hounds, and many photographs were taken of the Grevel hounds, even puppies, in large groups, all beautifully posed.
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| Miss H.I.H. Barr with (from l to r) Destiny of Grevel, Ch. Courage of Grevel, Dauntless of Grevel, Finn of Ifold, Sincerity of Grevel, Gravity of Grevel, Garrick, Lady Grevel of Grevel, Comfort of Grevel, and Charity of Grevel |
The advertisements for the kennel were frequently taken over the centre pages of periodicals so that strips of photographs of single hounds, or even of a massive group could be seen across the whole spread.
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| Advertisement for the Grevel Kennels taken in Our Dogs Annual, 1928 |
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| Advertisement taken in the Our Dogs Supplement 1930 |
In 1924, Mrs. Barr took another puppy from Mr. Everett, this one a dog, Courtesy of Grevel, whelped December 19th, 1923, by Felixstowe Kilshane out of Felixstowe Killcoo. Courtesy became a Champion. Mrs. Barr also took a bitch, Frona of Grevel, from Mrs. Crisp, which was whelped on February 7th, 1923, by Comberford Mick out of Hindhead Tareena. And Comfort of Grevel came from a litter bred by the Rev. Hildebrand, by Wyke Mark Dan O'Hagarty out of Sarah, born March 9th, 1923.
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| Ch. Courtesy of Grevel | Comfort of Grevel |
On May 28th, 1925, James Nagle had a litter by Courage of Grevel out of Clara of Brabyns, from which Mrs. Barr took two dogs, Fearless, and Fortitude of Grevel. On the same day, Mrs. Southey had a litter by Patrick of Brabyns out of Crewkerne Germaine, from which came another dog, Loyalty of Grevel.
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| Ch. Courage of
Grevel and his great-great-grandson, Endurance of Grevel (I can find no registration details for Endurance so do not know his sire or dam) |
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There were several dogs at stud in the Grevel kennel, which had been bought in from other breeders, including Finn of Ifold (Michael - Ferb; born July 26, 1922) and Garrick (bought from Capt. R. Spicer but bred by Isaac Everett, s. Felixstowe Conbec, d. Felixstowe Kildrellan; born Aug. 27, 1921). Another dog purchased from Isaac Everett was Felixstowe Kilshane, born April 10th 1922 by Felixstowe Conbec ex Felixstowe Creeshe. He became a champion and was quite a force at stud.
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| Ch. Felixstowe Kilshane |
Two of Kilshane's progeny were Defiance of Grevel (out of Discretion of Grevel, first registered as Culverden Dorreena), born February 6, 1926, and Courageous of Grevel (out of Sincerity of Grevel), born August 6, 1926.
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| Defiance of Grevel | Courageous of Grevel |
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| Courageous of Grevel | |
Courageous was used quite a lot at stud and among his progeny were:
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| Intrepid of Grevel by Courageous ex Joy of Grevel (originally Crewkerne Muffet), born May 5 1928 | USA Ch. Vivid of Grevel by Courageous ex Ardour of Grevel (originally Astra of Combhill), born August 28 1928 |
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| Virtue of Grevel, littermate to Vivid | Virtue, Intrepid & Invincible of Grevel |
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| Virtue & Invincible of Grevel | Agility of Grevel |
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| Courteous & Frivolity of Grevel, littermates to Agility, by Courageous ex Lady Blarney of Grevel, born May 13 1929 | Frivolity of Grevel |
Despite now starting to breed several litters herself, Mrs. Barr still took in more hounds from other breeders. In one year there were four home-bred litters; one born December 11th, 1925, by Finn of Ifold out of Comfort of Grevel (Comity, Curiosity, and Fury of Grevel); one born December 29th, 1925, by Chivalry Boy of Grevel (Sulhamstead Pedlar ex Sarah) out of Sincerity of Grevel (Serenity, and Sympathy of Grevel); one born February 6th, 1926, by Felixstowe Kilshane out of Discretion of Grevel (Bravery, Defiance, Disdain, and Ferocity of Grevel); and one born January 4th, 1926, by Felixstowe Kilshane out of Charity of Grevel (Veracity of Grevel). Plus four hounds taken in from a litter born April 29th, 1926, bred by Mr. Crossley Meates, by Chivalry Boy of Grevel out of Thora of Ifold (Distraction, Quest, Sanguine, and Sympathy of Grevel); two from a litter born December 1924, bred by Mrs. Lane, by Cathal-na-Gael out of Linda-na-Gael (Favour, and Pride of Grevel); two from a litter born September 9th, 1925, bred by Messrs. Robertson and Hooton, by Felixstowe Kilshane out of Juno (Ruthless, and Valour of Grevel); and one born August 30th, 1925, bred by Mrs. Southey, by Patrick of Brabyns out of Margot of Clonard (Wonder of Grevel).
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Favour of Grevel (the only one of those mentioned of which I have a picture) |
Miss H.I.H Barr was very keen on the Saluki and had quite a few of these, and Mrs. Barr also had Smooth Dachshunds, Miniature Poodles, and Boston Terriers, so there were a very large number of dogs in the Kennel.
| Miss Barr with her Salukis |  |
In the period 1927-8, Mrs. Barr registered 49 hounds, of which three were transferred to her daughter's ownership and ten to other people. In 1929 thirty-four hounds were registered, and fifteen transferred to other people. In 1930 sixty hounds were registered to the kennel, and thirteen transferred to other people, so there were huge numbers of hounds in the kennels. In one description of the Kennel (in Dog World Annual), it is said that there were no fewer than one hundred Irish wolfhounds. The total number of hounds registered in 1930 was 199, so the Grevel hounds registered for that year constituted almost a third. One of their number, Congeniality of Grevel (Bluff of Overbury - by Defiance of Grevel out of Lady Blarney of Grevel - out of Candour of Grevel) became a champion.
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Ch. Congeniality of Grevel |
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