Jack Black (rat catcher)

Jack Black (rat catcher)

Jack Black was rat-catcher and mole destroyer by appointment to Her Majesty Queen Victoria during the middle of the nineteenth century. Black cut a striking figure in his self-made "uniform" of scarlet topcoat, waistcoat, and breeches, with a huge leather belt inset with cast-iron rats.

He is known particularly through Henry Mayhew's account in "London Labour and the London Poor", Vol. 3, where he tells Mayhew of his work and experiences, including a number of occasions when he nearly died from infection following rat bites.

When he caught any unusually coloured rats, he bred them, to establish new colour varieties. He would sell his home-bred domesticated coloured rats as pets, mainly, as Black observed, "to well-bred young ladies to keep in squirrel cages". Beatrix Potter is believed to have been one of his customers, and she dedicated the book "Samuel Whiskers" to her rat of the same name. The more sophisticated ladies of court kept their rats in dainty gilded cages, and even Queen Victoria herself kept a rat or two. It was in this way that domesticated—or fancy—rats were established.

Black had a number of sidelines beyond rats, including fishing (for food and supplying aquaria), bird catching and taxidermy. He was also an accomplished dog breeder. He told Mayhew: "I had a little rat dog—a black tan terrier by the name of Billy which was the greatest stock dog in London of that day. He was the father of the greatest portion of small black tan dogs in London now. I've been offered a sovereign per pound (in weight) for some of my little terriers, but I wouldn't take that price, for they weren't heavier than two or three pounds. I once sold one of the dogs to the Austrian Ambassador...My terrier dog was known to all the London fancy. As rat-killing dogs, there's no equal to that strain of black tan terriers."

See also

* Jemmy Shaw
* Rat-baiting

References

* [http://www.afrma.org/rminfo4a.htm AFRMA] – History of rat fancy


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Jack Black (disambiguation) — Jack Black (b. 1969), is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black (author), late 19th early 20th Century author and hobo * Jack Black (drummer), drummer for 70s UK punk band The Boys * Jack… …   Wikipedia

  • Rat-catcher — The rat catcher is an occupation centered around catching rats as a form of pest control.While no longer a profession in developed countries, there are still rat catchers in India and other developing countries.Keeping the rat population under… …   Wikipedia

  • Rat-baiting — is a blood sport involving the baiting of rats in a pit.HistoryIn 1835, the Parliament of the United Kingdom implemented an Act called the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835, which prohibited the baiting of some animals such as the bull, bear and other… …   Wikipedia

  • Fancy rat — This article is about pet brown rats. For pet Gambian pouched rats, see Gambian pouched rat. For pet black rats, see Black rat. A common hooded fancy rat The fancy rat is a domesticated brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), which is the most common type …   Wikipedia

  • List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) episodes — The following is an episode list for the animated television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which premiered in 1987. In total 193 episodes aired between 1987 and 1996. The first three seasons were aired in syndication. CBS aired the rest of… …   Wikipedia

  • The Pied Piper of Hamelin — is a legend about the abduction of many children from the town of Hamelin ( Hameln ), Germany. Famous versions of the legend are given by the Brothers Grimm and, in English, by Robert Browning.PlotIn 1284, while the town of Hamelin was suffering… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Johnny Test characters — Promotional image featuring a majority of the series characters. Left to right: Susan Test, Gil, Dukey, Hugh Test, Mr. White, Johnny Test, Mr. Black, Lila Test, Sissy Blakely and …   Wikipedia

  • Vertigo (DC Comics) — Vertigo Industry Publishing Founded 1993 (launch) Key people Karen Berger Products Adult comic books (see …   Wikipedia

  • Rattus — Ratten Wanderratte (Rattus norvegicus) Systematik Ordnung: Nagetiere (Rodentia) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ratze — Ratten Wanderratte (Rattus norvegicus) Systematik Ordnung: Nagetiere (Rodentia) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”