Dogs on Board

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Gamin is a word which describes a pixyish or elfin quality- Audrey Hepburn was often called La Belle Gamin. Pycombe may refer to a region. That's my best guess but will dig around. The American Kennel Club website breed page may have something.

 

[Kate Bortner]

Of course it would be Shelley with THE answer. You're amazing!

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Kate- I saw Blood Relations back in 1992 in Fall River- we can have dueling Lizzie photos! I love it. Will be working at the HOUSE Saturday night. Have been dyeing my hair red getting ready for August and am making new costumes./
http://www.geocities.com/revdma2/Lizzie.html

 

[Dave Hudson]

I had no idea that the Titanic had a cat! Someone please post the story of Jenny!

David

 

[Mirriam Wood]

Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic:
A Pomeranian owned by Miss Margaret Hays of New York, and a Pekinese owned by Henry Sleeper Harper of the publishing family, who boarded early lifeboats in the arms of their owners, and First Officer's large Newfoundland, "Rigel".


"Gamin de Pyecombe" was a Championship French Bulldog.

gamin (FR) = rascal / rogue
(gamine if it's feminine, having a different meaning: a girl with a saucy charm)
de = of
Pyecombe = A small town in Sussex, England.
"Gamin de Pyecombe" was the dog's registered pedigree. He was so named because either the sire OR the dam was of Champion pedigree of the same (last) name, meaning, bred and whelped in Pyecombe.

 

[Kate Bortner]

Wow Mirriam that's wonderful info! And I agree with who ever said it; it's a great name. Thankyou. How did the Newfoundland survive?
-Kate "Gamine de Seattle" Bortner.

 

[Michael Findlay]

Hi Kate,

Just a small correction to Miriam's post. Murdoch did not have a dog aboard, and the legend of Rigel, the Newfoundland, continues to this day. I'm afraid Rigel is a myth.

Three dogs did survive - Margaret Hays' Pomeranian named "Lady", Henry Sleeper Harper's Pekinese named "Sun Yat-sen", and Elizabeth Rothschild's Pomeranian - name unknown. These three dogs survived largely due to their small size and because they went practically unnoticed in the lifeboats.

Hope this helps....

Regards,

Mike

 

[Kate Bortner]

Thanks Mike. That sounds more like the info I've gleaned so far. I was surprised that a large dog (and a crew members' at that) survived and I hadn't heard of it! Those myths are dangerous. I keep tripping over them. Thanks for the clarification.
-kate.