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(left) Lady Aberdeen and her children George, Marjorie, Ian and Dudley with Ishbel's brother, Archie Marjoribanks (circa 1893-1895).
(above) What appears to be an early tricolor Sheltie is sitting on Lady Aberdeen's lap. |
| Most biographical sketches of the amazing Lady
Aberdeen devote themselves to her social work and few mention her
involvement with dogs. Born Ishbel Maria Marjoribanks, she was
the daughter of Dudley Coutts Majoribanks, Lord Tweedmouth, who
is remembered today as the father of the Golden Retriever. Ishbel married
John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon, seventh Earl of Aberdeen, and later first Marquess of Aberdeen and
Temair, on November 7,1877. They had four children: George (born in 1879), Marjorie (1880), Dudley (1883) and Ian
(1884). Lady Aberdeen's connection with Shetland date back to 1884 when she was the patron of the Shetland Knitters Repository of Edinburgh, set up to provide an outlet for island knitting free of truck. Lord Aberdeen served as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland (1886) and
Governor-General of Canada (1893-1898). His aide-de-camp from these
colonial sojourns, John Sinclair, wed Marjorie in 1904.
Upon the family's return to Scotland in 1898, Lady Aberdeen became very active in dogs, being elected a member of the Ladies Branch of the Kennel Club and serving on the Grand Council of the Ladies Kennel Club. She had a strong kennel of Skye Terriers - another breed she had grown up with - and was especially known for her drop-eared Skyes such as Ch. Aberdeen Mike, Lassikin and Monarch of Haddo. This variety was an interest shared with H.R.H. Queen Alexandra, who made use of Lady Aberdeen's stud dogs. The Countess was also an early proponent of the Westie, serving as the first president of the West Highland White Terrier Club of England. Her Cromar Snowflake was the first bitch of the breed to attain her championship. In his book The Collie and Shetland Sheepdog (undated but probably circa 1915), W. Baskerville wrote: "Doubtless the "Collie" opposition fomented in England retarded the entry of the Shelties in popular favour, but their pioneers were zealots and their perseverance has been rewarded by producing what we see to-day -- a veritable miniature Collie. The leading stalwart was Mr. Jas. A. Loggie, the founder of the Shetland Sheepdog Club. Among his early winners we find Lerwick Jarl, a smart little tricolour, and winner of firsts and specials at the K.C. show, Scottish K.C. shows, Dundee, Inverness, etc. Another was Lerwick Olaf, sold to the Countess of Aberdeen, who early espoused the cause of the little Sheltie, and founded at that period probably the largest and most successful kennel of the variety in the United Kingdom, which included Aberdeen Tibbie, Aberdeen Magins, Aberdeen Varina, all black-and-tans; Aberdeen Minnia, a blue merle, Aberdeen Noreen, etc." Pictures of two of these dogs are available on the web. Lerwick Olaf can be seen here and Aberdeen Noreen here Lady Marjorie Sinclair was a patroness of the original Shetland Collie Club formed in Lerwick on Monday, November 23rd, 1908. Her husband had been appointed to the Privy Council in 1905 and was serving as Secretary for Scotland. On the 15th of February, 1909, he became Baron Pentland of Lyth, Caithnesshire. Lady Sinclair was out of the country when Shelties finally achieved recognition as Shetland Sheepdogs. Her husband was named Governor of Madras and the family resided in India from 1912 to 1919. Thanks to Lee Larson of Shiloh Park Goldens for allowing me to use this picture. |