Jemmy Elton Shaw, also known as Jimmy Shaw and James Shaw, was a 19th-century pioneer fancier of the early

dog show A dog show is an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a '' breed show'', is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs ' ...

days, a promoter of

dog fighting Dog fighting is a type of blood sport that turns game and fighting dogs against each other in a physical fight, generally to the death, for the purposes of gambling or entertainment to the spectators. In rural areas, fights are often staged in ...

and

rat-baiting Rat-baiting is a blood sport that involves releasing captured rats in an enclosed space with spectators betting on how long a dog, usually a terrier, takes to kill the rats. Often, two dogs competed, with the winner receiving a cash prize. It i ...

contests, a breeder of

Old English bulldog The Old English Bulldog is an extinct breed of dog. Physical characteristics The Old English Bulldog was compact, broad and muscular, as reflected in the painting '' Crib and Rosa''. Through John Scott's engraving, this painting became th ...

bull terrier The Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. There is also a miniature version of this breed which is officially known as the Miniature Bull Terrier. Appearance The Bull Terrier's most recognizable feature is its head, descri ...

s and

toy terrier {{Short description, none Toy Terriers are a group of toy breeds of dog. Breeds within this group include: *English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) *Japanese Terrier *Miniature Bull Terrier *Miniature Fox Terrier *Rat Terrier * Russian Toy * Silky Terri ...

s and a contributor in the development of

fancy rat The fancy rat (''Rattus norvegicus domestica'') is the domesticated form of ''Rattus norvegicus'', the brown rat, and the most common species of rat kept as a pet. The name ''fancy rat'' derives from the use of the noun '' fancy'' for a hobby, ...

Dogs

According to the '' Sporting Chronicle Annual'', Jem owned a black-and-tan

bull and terrier Bull and terrier was a common name for bulldog and terrier crossbreeds of the early 1800s. Other names included half-and-halfs and half-breds. It was a time in history when, for thousands of years, dogs were classified by use or function, un ...

named " Jacko", the world record holder for rat killing. Rat-Catching at the Blue Anchor Tavern

Shaw owned

Tiny the Wonder Tiny the Wonder was an English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) famous in the City of London in the mid-19th century for being able to kill 200 rats in an hour in the city's rat-baiting pits. At the time, the world record for killing 100 rats was 5 m ...

, an

English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) The English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) is a small breed of terrier in the toy dog group. Appearance According to the Kennel Club (UK), the English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) should be in height and in weight. The only permitted color is black ...

, famous in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

in the mid-19th century for being able to kill 200 rats in an hour in London's

pits.

Business

In the mid-1800s, Shaw was the landlord of the Blue Anchor Tavern, now the Artillery Arms, located at 102 Bunhill Row, St. Luke's,

London Borough of Islington The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington has ...

. Shaw would hold rat-baiting contests in the tavern basement for spectators. Shaw was able to maintain as many as 2,000 rats in his establishment for upcoming contests.

Establishment of fancy rats

Between the 1840s and 1860s Jemmy Shaw and Jack Black bred and sold many different colours of

s and their work aided in the establishment of them as pets.

Dogs

Business

Establishment of fancy rats

References

Further reading