Not long ago, we “introduced” you to John “Jack” Russell, the creator of the Jack Russell Terrier (Parson Terrier).  The good Parson Russell was born and lived most of his life in a county in southwest England called Devon, and is still remembered at Swimbridge, near Barnstaple, where he was vicar at St James Church for 40 years. It was said that his sermons were brief by Victorian standards, because his hunting horse was usually saddled and waiting in the churchyard, ready to go hunting.

These days, anyone choosing to go to Swimbridge’s annual Halloween cider festival will also be treated to the Jack Russell Inn, famous for its connection with the Reverend John Russell.  Its sign is a reproduction of a painting of “Trump,” the famous JRT ancestor, which was commissioned by the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). The original still hangs at Sandringham.