Lord Byron - Boatswain

[misamala00]

I guess I have to introduce myself first. I'm Mirjam and I have a year old black newfy girl, called Misha. We come from Slovenia, Europe. I'll tell more about us some other time, but now I would like to post a question.

I read on the Newf-L site this poem, that lord Byron wrote to his dog Boastwain. I saw it on some other newf page, too (don't ask me where, I've been to so many). But now I saw another dog page, which claims that Boatswain was a bulldog and not a newfy (and somewhere deep in my memory there's a feeling that I heard this information before, and it might be true). So I want to ask you, from where did you get the information, that the song was about a newf (On the epitaf it only said, the dog was born in Newfoundland, not that it was a newfoundland dog!)?

I have to state here, that the song is beautiful no mather what kind of a dog Boatswain was.

Mirjam & Misha

P.S. I like this forum (I like every thing connected to dogs, specially newfies) I only wish people would post more often (I look at it every day)

.

 

[GAD]

Welcome! As with most things NEwf-Related, the answer can be found in the Newf FAQ! http://www.gad.net/Newf-FAQ/Newf-FAQ_15.html#15.1

Enjoy.

GAD

 

[Lynne]

Hi, Miryam. We're glad to have you with us. As usual, GAD has the correct information. Lord Byron's Boatswain WAS a Newf. Don't know who thought otherwise.
Lynne

 

[misamala00]

GAD!

Thank you for the welcome, but as for the site adress you've given to me - that's exactlly where I found the poem in the first place. Since you've written that, I wanted to know from what source you've got this info.

Now I know where else I saw it written that it was a bulldog - it was in the Slovenian dog-rescue organisation's bulletin.

I doesn't make a big difference, but I would like to correct the person who wrote it was a bulldog. I cannot do that without a reliable proof. No offence, but a newf-lover claming it's a newf is no more reliable than a bulldog-lover claming it's a bulldog.

Mirjam

P.S: Misha and I attend a dog-school. It's not just me being proud of my dog, but Misha is doing best - in the group of ten other dogs! No german sheperd can compare! I'm so amazed at how fast newf can learn.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GAD:
Welcome! As with most things NEwf-Related, the answer can be found in the Newf FAQ! http://www.gad.net/Newf-FAQ/Newf-FAQ_15.html#15.1

Enjoy.

GAD<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[GAD]

No offence, but a newf-lover claming it's a newf is no more reliable than a bulldog-lover claming it's a bulldog.

LOL - non taken and you are absolutely right. I have the following books which have reference to the poem:

The Newfoundland - Companion Dog, Water Dog

The beginning of Chapter 13 has the poem and the story of Boatswain - it even shows an etching of him.

Newfoundlands Today has a small section in chapter one. This book is worth having for the pictures alone! They are all excellent.

This is the Newfoundland Official publication of the Newfoundland Club of America I believe this book is out of print. Chapter three has a section on Lord Byron and his Newfoundland Boatswain.

I have more books but got tired of typing.

The poem itself does not say the dog was a Newf as you so accuratly stated, however there seem to be many stories about the Newfoundland Dog at Lord Byron's side. In fact after Boatswain's death Lord Byron owned other Newfs, and one of the books tells of a Newf standing watch over Lord Byron's deathbed.

Also for those that don't know or have no nautical background, Boatswain is pronounced "Bosun". A Boatswain is:

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
boat·swain also bo's'n or bos'n or bo·sun (bsn)
n.

A warrant officer or petty officer in charge of a ship's rigging, anchors, cables, and deck crew.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

They are the one's, as I recall, that blow the cool whistle when someone come's aboard.

Why would someone name a bulldog after a naval crewmember? Seems a water dog would be much better suited to the name.

Hope that helps,

GAD


[This message has been edited by GAD (edited 03-28-2001).]

[This message has been edited by GAD (edited 03-28-2001).]

[This message has been edited by GAD (edited 03-28-2001).]

 

[misamala00]

Thank you GAD, for the information. Now I can go and "convert" some

.

I've been reading some internet pages about Lord Byron and in non that I've seen mentioned anything about the dog in his life. I guess no one considered it being a big deal. Probably only a true dog-lover like myself finds this infornation almost as important as the information about all the mistresses he had. But I do belive he was a dog-lover too or he wouldn't have written this poem.

Greetings!
Mirjam
(and a whoof from Misha)

 

[mudji]

There is a web sight www.newsteadabbey.co.uk that has a picture of the poem on the grave marker. It also is the web page of the home of Lord Byron.

In looking at when he lived, it was the same time that Charles Dickens would have had his newfs, as well as Merriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark.

Thought I'd add more history!
Hannah