Lewis doesn't have too much to say about these dogs; what little she does offer about Brontë is drawn from the biography of John Wilson written by his daughter Mary Wilson Gordon (and treated here at The Cultured Newf: "Of Brontë, the beautiful Newfoundland, all purple-black, save the white star on his breast, who daily walked to and from the college with his master, but at last was cruelly poisoned, and died, leaving 'no bark like his in the world of sound.' Of O'Bronte, Bronte's son, with "'the same still, serene, smiling and sagacious eyes.'" (25) That remark about O'Brontë is from one of Wilson's imaginary dialogues, and I believe that — unlike Brontë — O'Brontë was a fictional creation.
Next up is Lord Byron, both of whose Newfoundland dogs are mentioned. (Byron's connection to Newfoundlands is well documented here at The Cultured Newf:
Dogs were his [Lord Byron's] favorites; they were friends whose affection could be trusted, and whose criticism he had not to fear. Boatswain is almost as widely known as his master. No one visits Newstead without seeing his picture in the dining-room, and in the grounds his grave, with the famous epitaph:
As this dog was the friend of his youth, so Lion was the com panion of his later days in Greece. Major Parry says that "riding, or walking, or sitting, or standing," they were never apart. "His most usual phrase was, 'Lyon, you are no rogue, Lyon,' or 'Lyon,' his lordship would say, 'thou art an honest fellow, Lyon.' The dog's eyes sparkled, and his tail swept the floor as he sat with his haunches on the ground. 'Thou art more faithful than men, Lyon; I trust thee more.' Lyon sprang up and barked, and bounded round his master, as much as to say, 'You may trust me.'
Faithful to the last, he watched over Byron's death-bed, and then went to England, where he lived and died, an honored pensioner, in the house of Mrs. Leigh.
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 at Newfoundland, May, 1803,
And died at Newstead, Nov 18th, 1808.
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 at Newfoundland, May, 1803,
And died at Newstead, Nov 18th, 1808.
As this dog was the friend of his youth, so Lion was the com panion of his later days in Greece. Major Parry says that "riding, or walking, or sitting, or standing," they were never apart. "His most usual phrase was, 'Lyon, you are no rogue, Lyon,' or 'Lyon,' his lordship would say, 'thou art an honest fellow, Lyon.' The dog's eyes sparkled, and his tail swept the floor as he sat with his haunches on the ground. 'Thou art more faithful than men, Lyon; I trust thee more.' Lyon sprang up and barked, and bounded round his master, as much as to say, 'You may trust me.'
Faithful to the last, he watched over Byron's death-bed, and then went to England, where he lived and died, an honored pensioner, in the house of Mrs. Leigh.
Lewis includes the following image of Byron with his second Newfoundland:
In her chapter on "Pets in Literary Life" (which included the references above), Lewis also mentions, in passing, "Bulwer, with his Newfoundland Terror" (55). This would be Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803 - 1873), the English politician and novelist. His works — he wrote novels, plays, and poetry — were quite popular in his time, and while he coined many memorable phrases (see his Wiki entry), he is perhaps best known today for beginning one of his novels with the sentence "It was a dark and stormy night," which inspired the creation of the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest for the worst opening sentence of a novel.
For a bit more on Bulwer-Lytton and Newfoundlands, check out this page here at The Cultured Newf.
Lewis' final mentions of Newfoundlands do not identify any actual famous owners; she is here repeating a couple of stories, in her "Military Pets" chapter, that multiple writers have already told throughout the 19th Century:
Dogs have distinguished themselves in the navy as well as on land. Sir John Carr tells the story of a Newfoundland on the English ship Nymph. During an engagement with the French ship Cleopatra, the men at first tried to keep their pet below. In vain; he escaped them, and ran upon deck, barking furiously, with every sign of warlike rage. When the Cleopatra struck her colors, he was among the foremost to board her, and promenaded her deck with a proud and lofty air, as one who felt that his share in the victory was not small.
Another Newfoundland, well named Victor, served on the Bellona, in the battle of Copenhagen. So courageous and cheerful was his mien amidst flying balls and smoke and roar of cannon, that the men could not refrain from cheering him, even in the hottest of the action. After peace was signed at Amiens and the troops were paid off, the men of the Bellona had a farewell dinner on shore. Honorably mindful of their four-footed comrade, seat and plate were kept for Victor at the table. And there he sat, dignified and sedate, among the veterans, sharing their roast beef and plum- pudding. They drank his health, too, and doubtless he responded in his own fashion to the toast. Finally, the bill was made out in his proper name, and but here the parallel with human "diners out" ceases. It was settled by an adoring crowd of friends.
Another Newfoundland, well named Victor, served on the Bellona, in the battle of Copenhagen. So courageous and cheerful was his mien amidst flying balls and smoke and roar of cannon, that the men could not refrain from cheering him, even in the hottest of the action. After peace was signed at Amiens and the troops were paid off, the men of the Bellona had a farewell dinner on shore. Honorably mindful of their four-footed comrade, seat and plate were kept for Victor at the table. And there he sat, dignified and sedate, among the veterans, sharing their roast beef and plum- pudding. They drank his health, too, and doubtless he responded in his own fashion to the toast. Finally, the bill was made out in his proper name, and but here the parallel with human "diners out" ceases. It was settled by an adoring crowd of friends.
See also the list of famous people who have owned Newfoundlands here at The Cultured Newf. While I cannot vouch for its complete accuracy, I do know from my own research that many of the people named on that list did indeed own at least one Newfoundland at one point in their lives.