John Stephen Pardy and Thomas Wilton
Beginning in early 1842 Pardy places advertisements in The Times indicating that he is the proprietor of what he calls his "Canine Repository," which seems to be a commercial kennel where — in addition to still selling dogs — he keeps dogs that have been lost, hoping to profit when they are returned to their owners. I suspect it likely that Pardy made it his business to round up stray dogs in the hope their owners would post "lost dog" ads; it is not impossible that Pardy may have "collected" dogs that were roaming but not actually "lost."
In some of these ads, Pardy takes pains to point out that someone identified as "T. Wilton" is no longer associated with this kennel operation. Apparently Wilton ran this "repository" before Pardy took it over, and it even seems Wilton may not have been the creator of said "repository."
In mid-1841, there appeared in The Times several advertisements from a dog seller who identifies himself as "W. Taylor," with his operation located on Great Queen Street. Here is his advertisement (the several that I have seen with his name were identical) published on August 5, 1841:
POINTERS and SETTERS for GROUSE SHOOTING. — Noblemen and gentlemen proceeding to the moors are respectfully informed that they can be supplied with any quantity of SPORTING DOGS of the highest blood and character; warranted. Also some real King Charles's spaniels, mastiffs, bloodhounds, Newfoundlands, Skye terriers, and all other species extant. Country orders and dealers supplied. — Queen's Head-yard, Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn, removed from stables, 261 [?], High Holborn. W. Taylor, keeper.
It might be worth noting that the location in the ad above is within a quarter-mile of several of the addresses given in Pardy's dog-selling advertisements.
A few months later this same operation seems to have changed location and owner (or at least manager); here is an ad from The Times of November 8, 1841:
DOGS. — Notice of Removal. — The proprietors of the most valuable kennel in Europe take leave to announce, that they have finally purchased the lease and entered upon those desirable premises, the Repository, Bury-street, Bloomsbury-square, to which they have REMOVED from Great Queen-street. The proprietors return thanks and assure the public that they continue to supply country orders, and have always beagles, hariers [sic], and fox-hounds for exportation. By order, T. Wilton, keeper.
An identically worded ad ran on November 11, 1841. It might seem that the fact plural forms are used in that ad — "proprietors" and "they" — indicates that Pardy and Wilton could be co-owners or at least co-managers, of the operation, but I can't say I think that likely. As you can see below, Pardy takes over management of the Repository at the same address, and Wilton is no longer involved. Pardy will publish an ad in which the "proprietors," plural, wish to announce that Wilton is no longer the keeper, so it may well be that he and Pardy were not the owners. Yet in subsequent ads Pardy will refer to himself as "proprietor," so it's possible his use of the plural here and on other occasions is just an instance of the "royal we" by someone who, I think, struggled for respectability — and profitability.
(The only "Bury Street" extant in London is in a posh part of town and nowhere near Bloomsbury Square — which was Pardy's usual area — so I am assuming that the Bury Street referred to in the above ad no longer exists.)
A similar ad will appear in The Times on November 18, 1841:
An ad identical to the one just above was published in The Times on December 1, 1841, and again on December 10.
Things must have gotten complicated, however, for on April 4, 1842, Wilton will publish two ads in The Times, both of them taking pains to explain that he has no connection with any other dog-related operation. I think it likely, given developments over the next week or so, that Wilton and Pardy were in some sort of professional conflict.
DOGS on SALE. — NEWFOUNDLANDS, a brace of Danish mastiff puppies. . . . Noblemen and gentlemen supplied with pheasants' eggs, and foxes for hunting or stock at T. Wilton's original registry office for lost dogs, 5, Keppel-mews south, Russell-square. N.B. T. Wilton begs to state that this is the only establishment with which he is concerned.
The second ad:
NEWFOUNDLAND DOGS, Mastiffs, Bloodhounds, Bull Dogs, Skye and other Terriers, real King Charles's Spaniels perfect for the drawing room, Sporting Dogs, Field Spaniels, and also Beagles, Hariers [sic], and Fox-hounds for exportation. Country orders supplied carriage free. Registry and general advertising office, Bury-street, Bloomsbury-square. By order, T. Wilton, keeper. N.B. No connexion with any other premises, and the public [?] against sham establishments.
Whatever the nature of the Pardy-Wilton involvement in the "registry for lost dogs," it seems serious tension had developed between them, because a mere five days later Pardy will publish an ad in The Times identifying himself as manager of the repository on Bury Street and stating the Wilton is no longer associated with the operation. From April 9, 1841:
DOGS of character. — MASTIFFS, Bloodhounds, Newfoundlands, Sporting Dogs, Field and Fancy Spaniels, Skye and other Terriers, Beagles, Hariers [sic], and Foxhounds, for country orders and for exportation. — Registry office and canine repository, Bury-street, Bloomsbury-square, where the nobility and gentry are requested to give immediate notice of all lost or stolen dogs. The proprietors beg to state that T. Wilton is no longer their keeper. By order, J. Pardy, manager.
The above ad will repeat verbatim on April 11, 1841, and Pardy will publish, in The Times, multiple ads for the Repository which remark that T. Wilton is no longer associated with the kennel (April 21, May 7, 11, 17, 19, 26, June 3, 10, 13, 22, July 2).
I can't resist posting the following image of the dueling advertisements posted by Pardy and Wilton on the same day, May 11, 1841, which ended up right next to each other:
Wilton will remain in the animal-selling business, as the following ad (which also appeared immediately above a Pardy ad) from August 22, 1842, makes clear:
Wilton advertises in The Times again on December 12, 1842:
And again on June 22, 1844, in which he makes explicit to his own "registry office" for the recovery of lost dogs:
Wilton will run an ad in The Times on August 3, 1844, and again on August 8, which lists Newfoundlands as one of the breeds he is selling; he also uses his first name, "Thomas," instead of his usual "T. Wilton." Address is the same.
Wilton will show up, indirectly, in The Times legal section on March 26, 1845, in a report of a court case involving a lost Newfoundland. The owner of the lost dog recovered it from, and reluctantly paid the reward to, someone who is identified as "a man living in Keppel-mews south, Russell-square," and who had on his premises "a great number of other dogs, of various kinds." That is the address, and occupation, of Thomas Wilton, as can be seen in the above ads. This legal notice can be seen here at The Cultured Newf.