Cavalier Club - Tribute to Jane Bowdler (Ttiweh)

I am very sorry to report the sad passing of the truly wonderful Jane Bowdler, on 20th September 2018 at the age of 89 years. It would be fair to say that in the case of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Jane had really been around since the year ‘dot’, winning the first ever Dog Challenge Certificate at the first ever Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club show in 1946 with a young Daywell Roger. Jane’s mother of course was the doyenne of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the late Mrs Amice Pitt who was pivotal and instrumental in the revival of the breed in the early days.

Jane’s interest in dogs stemmed not only from her mother, but also from her grandfather Sir Everett Millais, who was a pioneer Basset Hound breeder in the United Kingdom and a son of the pre-Raphaelite painter, Sir John Everett Millais.

Of course, she will forever hold the unique distinction of winning the first Cavalier CC and owning the first Cavalier Champion anywhere in the world. She did this as mentioned earlier in the form of Ch Daywell Roger, who was bred at Daywell Manor in Gobbowen and bought unseen by Mrs Pitt who subsequently gifted him to daughter Jane. Indeed only last month Jane was telling me how she would go cycling on her bike and Roger would sit in the basket at the front loving every second!

As a judge of the breed, her experience spanned many years & she really had seen the development of the breed throughout. Jane first awarded CCs at City of Birmingham in 1952, where it was a first CC for the dog Armorer of Ttiweh and a second CC for the bitch Gabb’s Sonday. Jane awarded CCs a number of times since 1952 until her final CC appointment in 2007. She refereed and awarded BIS at Club Championship shows several times since then.

Over the years when you look at the list of dogs she awarded CCs to, so many famous names crop up, rather a ‘who’s who’ of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel lore. She awarded Suntop Cockrobin a CC at Bath in 1955 and awarded Aloysius of Sunninghill his 19th CC in May 1960 at Bath, thus making him the breed record holder until the 1990s when he was overtaken by Ch Spring Tide at Alansmere. Jane must be one of the few judges to have judged both sexes of the breed at Crufts (which she did in 1964) and then 36 years later (in 2000) she judged the males.

Jane’s retirement years were spent in a beautiful home in Beaulieu in the New Forest. With her passing, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel loses that irreplaceable link to the past and the foundation of our special breed. Her life and name were inextricably linked with the Cavalier; and for as long as the breed remains, it will righty so, continue to be.

Her husband, Hugh pre-deceased her by a number of years. She was the much loved mother of David, Bridget, Roger and Martin and grandmother of Sophie, Robert, Saffron, Basil and Iris. Jane’s funeral took place at Beaulieu Abbey on 4th October at 11am and donations can still be made to the Gurkha Welfare Trust or Cavalier Rescue in her memory.


MRS JANE AMICE BOWDLER (nee Pitt) – "Ttiweh" Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 1929 – 2018 by Evan L Ryan – 27th September 2018
I am very sorry to report the sad passing of the truly wonderful Jane Bowdler, on 20th September 2018 at the age of 89 years. It would be fair to say that in the case of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Jane had really been around since the year ‘dot’, winning the first ever Dog Challenge Certificate at the first ever Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club show in 1946 with a young Daywell Roger. Jane’s mother of course was the doyenne of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the late Mrs Amice Pitt who was pivotal and instrumental in the revival of the breed in the early days. Jane’s interest in dogs stemmed not only from her mother, but also from her grandfather Sir Everett Millais, who was a pioneer Basset Hound breeder in the United Kingdom and a son of the pre-Raphaelite painter, Sir John Everett Millais. Of course, she will forever hold the unique distinction of winning the first Cavalier CC and owning the first Cavalier Champion anywhere in the world. She did this as mentioned earlier in the form of Ch Daywell Roger, who was bred at Daywell Manor in Gobbowen and bought unseen by Mrs Pitt who subsequently gifted him to daughter Jane. Indeed only last month Jane was telling me how she would go cycling on her bike and Roger would sit in the basket at the front loving every second! As a judge of the breed, her experience spanned many years & she really had seen the development of the breed throughout. Jane first awarded CCs at City of Birmingham in 1952, where it was a first CC for the dog Armorer of Ttiweh and a second CC for the bitch Gabb’s Sonday. Jane awarded CCs a number of times since 1952 until her final CC appointment in 2007. She refereed and awarded BIS at Club Championship shows several times since then. Over the years when you look at the list of dogs she awarded CCs to, so many famous names crop up, rather a ‘who’s who’ of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel lore. She awarded Suntop Cockrobin a CC at Bath in 1955 and awarded Aloysius of Sunninghill his 19th CC in May 1960 at Bath, thus making him the breed record holder until the 1990s when he was overtaken by Ch Spring Tide at Alansmere. Jane must be one of the few judges to have judged both sexes of the breed at Crufts (which she did in 1964) and then 36 years later (in 2000) she judged the males. Jane’s retirement years were spent in a beautiful home in Beaulieu in the New Forest. With her passing, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel loses that irreplaceable link to the past and the foundation of our special breed. Her life and name were inextricably linked with the Cavalier; and for as long as the breed remains, it will righty so, continue to be. Her husband, Hugh pre-deceased her by a number of years. She was the much loved mother of David, Bridget, Roger and Martin and grandmother of Sophie, Robert, Saffron, Basil and Iris. Jane’s funeral took place at Beaulieu Abbey on 4th October at 11am and donations can still be made to the Gurkha Welfare Trust or Cavalier Rescue in her memory.

Return to top of page

Return to Previous Page

This document maintained by the webmaster@thecavalierclub.co.uk. Material Copyright The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club