Most of William Humphrey's life, he made a living as a kennel manager and selling antique furniture to many wealthy people around the world. He was considered one of the best dog breeder's and trainers in world in his day and played a significant role in the Fox hound, Beagle, and Springier Spaniel worlds, but he is best known for his magnificent role in the continuation and development of the Llewellin Setter breed in England, only second to Mr. Richard Llewellin himself. Especially, true with the continuation of Llewellin's personal bloodline known as the Dashing Bondhu's and their later introduction and popularity into the United States.

In British Setter circles reference are made to the” Great Triumvirate”, meaning, the three great men of the Setter world and the passing of the torch. Of course Edward Laverack, being the first, Richard Purcell Llewellin, being the second and William Humphrey being the third.

William Humphrey was known to be a very interesting character, who had a lifetime association with great dogs of many breeds. His family, had served the Royal Family as Falconers. He himself was a skilled Falconer often pictured with a Golden Eagle Circa seen here.

In his early years he was known to ride to the hounds and had superior knowledge of Fox Hounds, Beagles, and Springier Spaniels. Especially, the Springier's which he bred extensively for many years and was known to own as many as one thousand dogs at one time. He was well known in the hunting and shooting world of his day and had numerous high society friends. He later was particularly knowledgeable and respected in the Setter world and fancied Llewellin Setters of the pure Dashing Bondhu bloodlines over all other hunting dogs and strains, having great success in early foot hunting Field Trials and show competition with them, personally making over 41 Field Champions himself, in just 38 years of breeding them.

Not being an independently wealthy man most of his life, like his good friend Mr. Llewellin, Humphrey came to the United States in the 1920’s and worked for  Erastus Tefft, Governor of the New York Stock exchange at the time. Tefft gave Humphrey authority over all his foxhound kennel, as well as Tefft's Llewellin Setters and other hunting dogs Tefft owned. Humphrey improved Tafft's hound pack by introducing superior Welsh Fox Hounds imported from Britain and selective breeding. He was also very impressed with Tefft's Llewellin Setters and may have been his first encounter with this great breed.

During these years, Humphrey became very successful, also earning income by importing antique furniture into the US, another one of Humphrey's many talents. With the Stock Market crash in 1929, both Tefft and Humphrey were left destitute. Fortunately, Humphrey was able to get Tefft's Llewellin Setters as payment and was able to bring them with him back to England.

His passion grew for Mr. Llewellin Setters and was fortunate to become personal friends with Mr. Llewellin himself and on Llewellin's passing, he quickly sold out of his Springier Spaniels he had so loved, so he could arrange to acquire all of Llewellins dogs that Llewellin left to him.

Mr. Humphrey, gradually eliminated his own Llewellin Setters that he brought back to England and concentrated on Llewellin's superior strain known as his Dashing Bondhu's and started to use that name as well on the pure dogs of that strain.

Mr. Humphrey made many friends and later inherited a large sum of money and the ownership of some of the best grouse moors in the area named Longmynd. These were the old hunting grounds of King John, and the Titles of Lordship of the Manors of Rattlinghope and Stretton-en-le-Dale.

Now being a Lord and an independently wealthy man with title like Llewellin, Humphrey was now able put his great skills of dog breeding and training to good use and indulge his true passion to further develop Llewellin's personal Dashing Bondhu bloodline.

He became great friends with Father Brannon, an Irish preist who owned Scinn Amach Kennel in Ireland and also had access to great hunting grounds there. Humphrey and Fr. Brannon became such good friends that they were known to switch cottages and live in each others few months each summer. During these times they would hunt, train, breed, and care for each others setters. This gave them much insight on each others breeding programs. 

Fr. Brannon in 1974 with his Dashing Bondhu strain of Llewellin Setter. Look at the simularity to our Dashing Bondhu Llewellin Setters today!

After Humphrey's passing in 1963, Fr. Brannon received many of his best Setters and continued breeding the pure Dashing Bondhu's until his passing. This is where the Irish Bondhu's originate from in our breeding program. 

Like Llewellin, Lord Humphrey had outstanding success and bred hundreds of Llewellin's Setters at his Horsford Kennels, and many were sold around the world. He also had great success in Field Trail and Shows, winning just about every major title of that time.

Lord Humphrey's home and kennels was Lake Cottage in the grounds of Wolcott Hall, Lydbury North the ancestral home of Clive of India. Lake Cottage is today occupied by his grandson Chris Sorenson, but unfortunately, Chris no longer keeps any of the great Llewellin Setters that his grandfather passed down to him. Many of his best dogs were exported to the US in the 1960's and is where our pure Humphrey Dashing Bondhu bloodlines had descended from.

Lord William Humphrey passed away at age 81 on Nov. 22, 1963, the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. His ashes were spread on the Long Mynd, which is now a National Trust and is part of the public National Parks program.  William's grandson Chris Sorenson did breed his grand fathers great Llewellin Setters for a few short years, but sadly there are no Llewellin Setters left at Lake Cottage now and all breeding activity has ended there. He now runs an animal transportation business at the kennels. The grave of Richard Purcell Llewellin is situated only a short drive away and that of Edward Laverack is about half an hours drive as well.

William Humphrey's huge contribution to the Dashing Bondhu strain of Llewellin Setter was truly amazing. For more information on the Dashing Bondhu line, please read "The Dashing Bondhu Line", also please read about the history of the Llewellin Setter in England in William Humphrey's personal Manuscript available below.

 

William Humphrey's Manuscript
Now available in print!

We are offering the newly published, staple bond paper back, limited addition book of William Humphrey's personal Manuscript on the Llewellin Setter breed in England. This small book is actually the first writings on the History of the Llewellin Setter and gives us an accurate account of each generation in Llewellin's, Humphrey's, and many other notable English Setter breeder's involved in the Llewellin Setter's development in England, far beyond the first Setter's they sent to North America. 

A must for every Llewellin Setter owner's library, especially those who want to know the facts about the Llewellin Setter and Llewelllin's personal strain known as the Dashing Bondhu's.

FLASH!

In 2009 reprint we added to the book an article written by William Humphrey in 1946 adding several more pages with NO increase in price.

Please send a money order or certified check for only $10.00 USD to:

Marie Bloodgood
11290 N. Dixie Hwy.
Bonnieville, KY 42713

Price includes USPS Postage within the United States, for orders outside the USA, please add an additional $2.00 USD to cover additional postage. Kentucky residents please add 6% sales tax.