On this day in Yorkshire- 23rd September 1871 The daddy of all terriers dies

Huddersfield Ben achieved rather a lot in his short, doggy life. The canine was bred in the town where he takes his name and owned by the Foster family from Bradford. He is widely recognised as being the sire, or ancestor of all Yorkshire terriers, a breed which was still under development in the 1860s. They were designed to hunt rodents in the factories and mills of the industrial north. Ben was also top dog in various dog shows and ratting contests of the age, in total winning 74 prizes throughout a glittering career.

Ben’s untimely death in 1871 came when he was run over by a carriage and killed. His body was preserved and put on display, leaving his puppies to establish the Yorkshire Terrier breed which we know and love today.