EARLY CAT JUDGES
Did you know, that many of our early cat judges came from positions of respect in the DOG world? the POULTRY world? and the small animal fancy, as judges of Rabbits and Cavies?
One such judge was Mr. Fred Gresham, who was a well-known breeder of some of the finest Saint Bernard’s in the country, and who was also well grounded in the breeding of fancy Pigeons. His fine Saint Bernard ‘The Abbess’ featured in Cassell’s The Book of the Dog.
When Harrison Weir invited him into the world of cats, it was a three-fold win for the newly formed cat fancy, as with him came his two daughters. Miss Mary Gresham was to become the first Secretary of the National Cat Club (later Mrs Bridgwater), and Miss Dora (Dorothy) Gresham, later Mrs Balding, was the owner of the famous Chinchilla cattery and its hallmark stud, Champion Silver Lambkin.
In this photo, we see him judging a row of Beagles at a Kennel Club Show in 1903. You will also find a short bio and further images from his life, on a page dedicated to him at The History Project at
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