BYRON’S FAITHFUL DOGS

Boatswain

By far the most famous dog owned by Byron is Boatswain (pronounced Bosun). The painting by Clifton Tomson features a St John’s water dog with a thick water-resistant double coat and an ‘otter-like’ tail (thickness at the base gradually tapering toward the tip). The otter tail was a critical survival and working tool for water dogs. The semi prick ears - rather than the more usual fold down, dropped ears pictured in the late 19^th and 20^th centuries - was not unusual for some individual water dogs in the early 1800s. The implied size of the dog suggests that Boatswain was no larger than a black and white Labrador Retriever.

Portrait of Boatswain by Clifton Tomson (Newstead Abbey)

Byron’s grandfather, the Honourable John Byron (‘Foulweather Jack’) served as the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Newfoundland in the late 1760s. It is a recorded fact that John Byron returned to England in 1769 bringing with him two large Newfoundland dogs as presents for his brother William Byron, 5^th Baron Byron of Newstead Abbey, and the Earl of Hillsborough (Secretary of State for the Colonies).

St. John’s water dogs were initially imported into the UK in the 1730s as merchant ‘ship dogs’ focused on water rescue and protection, but they soon gained wider appeal. Their increasing popularity was due to their exceptional working abilities, unique physical characteristics and gentle temperament. Calling the puppy Boatswain, was Byron’s tribute to his grandfather and the breed’s reputation as a legendry water-rescue dog for sailors.

Interestingly, in Byron’s Dream (1874), Ford Maddox Brown portrays George Byron and Mary Ann Chaworth together with Boatswain in the Misk Hills of Nottinghamshire. The dog in this picture is more in keeping with the Landseer Newfoundland. Due to a combination of a heavy dog tax in Newfoundland and strict quarantine laws in the UK, the supply of pure St. John’s water dogs dwindled and the breed became extinct. Dogs were bred in Britain establishing a foundation stock from which modern Labradors Retrievers and Landseer Newfoundlands are descended.

Byron’s Dream by Ford Maddox Brown (Wikimedia Commons)

George Byron was 15 years old when he acquired Boatswain. They quickly formed a strong bond of loyalty and unconditional care. Having completed his university studies at Trinity College Cambridge in 1808, Byron returned to Newstead Abbey. In November of that year, Boatswain was bitten by a rabid dog whilst following the postboy into Mansfield. Byron nursed his beloved dog personally, despite the risk of catching the disease himself. He fed the poor dog with his bare hands and wiped away the frothing saliva from his mouth during seizures. It is debatable as to whether he was aware of the risks he was taking.

“He expired in a state of madness on the 10^th, after suffering much, yet retaining all the gentleness of his nature to the last, never attempting to do the least injury to anyone near him.” (Letter to Francis Hodgeson on 18^th November)

The inscription on Boatswain’s memorial at Newstead Abbey immortalises his loyal and beloved dog. It praises the dog for its strength, courage and loyalty - without the flaws of mankind - and expresses the overwhelming sorrow of losing such an unconditionally loving companion. The introduction was written by John Cam Hobhouse. Byron’s eulogy is the poem ‘Epitaph to a Dog’ which he wrote at Newstead in November 1808.

Near this spot

Are deposited the Remains of one

Who possessed Beauty without Vanity

Strength without Insolence

Courage without Ferocity

And all the virtues of Man without his Vices

This praise which would be unmeaning Flattery

If inscribed over human Ashes

Is but a just tribute to the Memory of

BOATSWAIN a DOG

Who was born in Newfoundland May 1803

And died at Newstead Nov 18, 1808

When some proud son of man returns to earth,

Unknown to glory, but upheld by birth,

The sculptor’s art exhausts the pomp of woe,

And storied urns record who rests below;

When all is done, upon the tomb is seen,

Not what he was, but what he should have been;

But the poor Dog, in life the firmest friend,

The first to welcome, foremost to defend,

Whose honest heart is still his master’s own,

Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,

Unhonoured falls, unnoticed all his worth,

Denied in heaven the soul he held on earth:

While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,

And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven.

Oh man! Thou feeble tenant of an hour,

Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power,

Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust,

Degraded mass of animated dust!

Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat,

Thy smiles hypocrisy, thy words deceit!

By nature vile, entailed but by name,

Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.

Ye! Who perchance holds this simple urn,

Pass on – it honours none you wish to mourn:

To mark a friend’s remains these stones arise;

I never knew but one, - and here he lies.

Biographical accounts agree that Boatswain was purchased as a prized puppy or given to Byron as a gift. Most would say that the dog was a gift – and a fitting choice for a young nobleman whose ancestors had such prominent ties to the dog’s place of origin. The cost of an imported Newfoundland in 1803 was approximately 20 guineas (over £200 in 2026) making it a personal indulgence or a high-status luxury gift.

His appearance was far removed from the giant, fluffy dog we recognize as a Landseer Newfoundland at Newstead Abbey today!

Otis is a member of Rother Valley Working Newfoundlands

Lyon

Lyon was a Newfoundland dog, presented to Lord Byron by Edward Le Mesurier R.N. (a naval lieutenant in the Royal Navy of Genoa) just before Byron set off from Italy to support the Greek War of Independence in July 1823.

Newfoundland dog, Vintage illustration

Lyon was more akin to the conventional Newfoundland of the 19^th century than Boatswain. Lyon - or Lion, as he was often referred to - was Byron’s constant companion throughout his time in Missolonghi, Greece. The dog had a calming influence on his master, and their interaction brought Byron a sense of contentment and happiness, offering a therapeutic escape from the difficult circumstances of the Greek War of Independence. Lyon became his ‘dearest and most affectionate friend’ – a testament to their inseparable bond.

a constant attendant – whether walking, riding or resting
a play pal
a faithful guardian – stationed by the bedroom door at night
a vehicle through which Byron was able to express his thoughts verbally

“He walked a great deal, particularly in wet weather (when it was unsafe to horse). On such occasions, he was almost always accompanied by his favourite dog Lyon, who was perhaps his dearest and most affectionate friend.”

“They were indeed very seldom separated. Riding or walking, sitting or standing, Lyon was his constant attendant. He can scarcely be said to have forsaken him even in sleep. Every evening did he go to see that his master was safe, before he lay down himself, and then he took his station close to the door, a guard.’’ (Parry)

The Last Days of Lord Byron by William Parry 1825

Byron was accustomed to communing with Lyon. Many of the phrases reflected the extent to which he valued Lyon’s loyalty above that of his men cf. Byron’s Brigade of Souliote soldiers -

Lyon, you are no rogue
Lyon, thou art an honest fellow
Lyon, thou art more faithful than men
Lyon, I trust thee more
Lyon, I love thee, thou art my faithful dog

Typically, Lyon’s responses were remarkably amiable –

He’d sweep his tail on the ground, eyes sparkling
He’d spring up, bark and bound around his master
He’d jump up and kiss his master’s hand

All this reflects, once again, Byron’s perceptions of a dog’s simple faithfulness compared to a man’s duplicity - The Elegy to a Dog.

During his time in Missolonghi, Byron was exposed to a lot of stress and anxiety. His relationship with Lyon clearly helped him to relax and uplifted his spirits...

“Lyon proved to be Byron’s devoted & faithful companion and one with whom he could seek escape and relaxation in playful banter from the problems surrounding him.”

Meder

(a mastiff) on the other hand, accompanied Byron and Pietro Gamba out horse riding in Cephalonia and Missolonghi. Byron’s insistency on riding out daily with a large dog like Meder helped maintain his identity as an English Lord. This routine provided a sense of continuity and normality as Byron transitioned from poet and active sportsman to military leader. Meder was seen by Byron’s companions as a formidable animal – so protective, that he would not allow anyone but Byron’s servants to approach his master when he was sleeping or unwell. He is remembered for his intense loyalty and protective nature.

Following Byron’s death in April 1824, Lyon and Meder both accompanied the body back to England on the ship Florida. They were initially placed in the care of Augusta Leigh (Byron’s half-sister). Whilst Meder lived out his remaining days as part of the Leigh household, Augusta homed Lyon with John Cam Hobhouse. He recorded in his diary on Sunday 5^thJune 1825, that Lyon had died. The dog was buried under the willow tree near the water at Whitton, Hounslow – Hobhouse’s country seat.

“Lion, Lord Byron’s dog that accompanied him to Greece and was given to me by Mrs. Leigh, died at Whitton some day this last week. He had been long ill - and at last broke a blood vessel – ‘poor fellow’.”

Byron’s other dogs

Byron owned many other dogs during his lifetime. Notably – ‘a half Wolf Dog’ also named Lyon. The term ‘Wolf Dog’, like that of ‘Lion’, may have been a nickname used to emphasize a wild primitive powerful appearance or disposition rather than the breed.

Lyon, The Wolf Dog by Clifton Tomson 1808 (Newstead Abbey)

Lyon was acquired before Boatswain, shortly after Byron’s tenth birthday. When Byron was twenty years of age, the dog bit him on the backside - and then rejected his master’s attempts to win him back with bones!

“I had one (half a wolf by the ‘she’ side) that doted on me at 10 years old and very nearly ate me at 20. When I thought, he was going to enact Argus, he bit away at the breeches and never would consent to any sign.” (Letter to Thomas Moore 1815)

Note: Argus was a many-eyed giant in Greek mythology known for his perpetual vigilance. He served the goddess Hera as a watchman. Argus was slain by Hermes, on Zeus’s orders, and his eyes were then incorporated into the peacock’s tail by Hera in his honour.

Geoffrey Bond in his book Lord Byron’s Best Friends, refers to many other dogs that Byron owned during his lifetime - Bulldogs (inc. Savage, Smut and Moretto), a crossbreed tail-less Swiss drover’s dog (Mutz), Mastiffs (inc. Nelson, Thunder) and a terrier (Nettle).

Byron was a legendary animal lover who famously kept a massive and diverse menagerie throughout his life, though his deepest affections were always reserved for his dogs. Enormous dogs (likely mastiffs) were the focus of his extensive and diverse menagerie at the Palazzo Guiccioli in Ravenna, Italy.

8 enormous dogs
5 cats, 3 monkeys
Assortment of birds including 5 peacocks, 2 guinea hens, eagle, crow, falcon and Egyptian crane
10 horses

“Lord B.’s establishment consists, besides servants, of ten horses, eight enormous dogs, three monkeys, five cats, an eagle, a crow, and a falcon; and all these, except the horses, walk about the house, which every now and then resounds with their un-arbitrated quarrels, as if they were the masters of it. PS I have just met on the grand staircase five peacocks, two Guinea hens and an Egyptian crane.” (Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Letter to Thomas Love Peacock 1821)