In 1864, the first Bulldog Club was formed with the motto 'Hold Fast'. It was founded by a man named R.S. Rockstro who called together a group of about 30 Bulldog enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the club only lasted three years, but this was long enough to see to the writing of the 'first' Breed Standard. It was called the 'Philo-Kuan' Standard, after the nom the plume of the Standard's author, Samuel Wickens.
In 1875, the original Bulldog Club was founded at the Blue Post Inn in London. It was the forerunner of all dog clubs in the world, and existed even before the UK Kennel Club was conceived. Members drew up a Standard similar to the Philo-Kuan, which is still used today and varies only slightly from the offical Standard. The Bulldog Club was incorporated in 1894. Its main objective was to control the infiltration of the Spanish Bulldog strain that weighed around 100 pounds or more. These Bulldogs were considered oversized and one of the first purposes of the Breed standard was to promote a more moderate size in Bulldogs. The Club held its annual exhibition of Bulldogs in London but it also offered trophies and medals for competition among its own members in other cities. The Bulldog Club Incorporated had a list of club judges, who were elected annually. The special prizes were offered only at shows were one or another of these club judges officiated.
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he was usually called. Crib was bred by Mr. Lamphier and sold to Mr. Turton who campaigned him to his title. He was never defeated during his entire ring career.
The matings of Crib to Berrie's Rose, Lampier's Meg, Rusts Miss Smiff and Becketts Kit were various strains that built the foundation of today's Bulldogs.
The first Bulldog to be shown was King Dick in 1860 and 1864, owned by Jacob Lamphier. Another of Mr. Lamphier's Bulldogs, named Adam, was the first Bulldog to be registered in The Kennel Club stud book. The Bulldog considered the one nearest to perfection ever seen was the famous Crib, or Turton's Crib as
The London Bulldog Society, originally known as the South London Bulldog Society, was another famous London Bulldog organization. Like the Bulldog Club Incorporated, it held an annual show in London and offered numerous special prizes for competing members at nearly all of the more important shows.
Local Clubs of that time included the Birmingham and Midland Counties Bulldog Club, located in Sutton Coldfield and the Manchester and District Bulldog Club, in Manchester.
