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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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spaniels
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Small gun dogs with curly coats and drooping ears. The name derives from the French for 'Spanish'; the breed is believed to have originated in Spain, to have become popular in France and to have arrived in England in the 16C. The King Charles was one of several small or 'toy' breeds kept by *Charles II in the late 17C. In the 18C several of today's varieties were bred to assist in the new sport of *shooting flying birds.
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The cocker spaniel derived from the toy spaniels, its size helping it through tight thickets in search of the small game bird, the woodcock, from which it takes its name. The springer spaniel, larger and quicker (known now in two varieties, the English and the Welsh) was bred to 'spring' partridges from their hiding places in open fields. The Clumber spaniel, one of the largest of its kind, slow-moving, with a white coat and a heavy head, was bred in the 19C at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire, the seat of the dukes of Newcastle.
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