Terriers of England
Today's English Terrier breeds of England trace their origin back to the now extinct Old English White Terrier and the English Black-and-tan Terrier that were common in England as early as the 1700's. These Terriers came in both smooth and rough coated varieties as well as in different sizes. By the 1800's Old English Terriers were either primarily white or black and tan as illustrated.
In the early 1800's when the various different terrier types began to emerge, there were no formal registration records. Terriers of various sizes were born in the same litter. At that time, any dog that was adept in a particular task was mated to another adept in that task. Huntsmen and farmers did not seem to care what the terrier looked like as long as it did the required job.
Fox Terriers and Jack Russells
Prior to 1800 the name 'Fox Terrier' was a generic name given to any Terrier that was used to bolt foxes out of their burrows, particularly associated with the sport of Fox Hunting. Those which remained working Terriers whose ground colour was white were later developed into two separate breeds with differing leg length - the Jack Russell Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier, both named after one man, the Parson Jack Russell. Meanwhile the name Fox Terrier became one of the first show dogs. In 1913 Fox Terriers were split into two separate pure-breeds separated by coat type - the Fox Terrier (Smooth) and the Fox Terrier (Wire).
Akin to the direct descendants of the Old English White Terrier, two modern pure breeds descend directly from English Black and Tan Terrier listed in the First English Stud Book published in 1874. The Manchester Terrier developed in the city of Manchester, is a direct descendant of the Old English Black and Tan smooth coated terrier while the Welsh Terrier was developed from the Old English Black and Tan rough coated terrier, his coat protecting him from the elements as well as the natural hazards of the countyside.
The Airedale Terrier began to develop two centuries ago in Yorkshire, in the North of England, from a mixture of the forerunners of the Terriers of the Border Region, and Otterhounds. He was known by various names, such as the Bingley Terrier, the Waterside Terrier, and the Broken Coated Terrier, large variety. However it was in Birmingham, England, in 1883 that the Airedale Terrier was first exhibited under the name we know him today.
Norwich Terriers and Norfolk Terriers were developed as vermin killers in the closest region of England to Europe. In the early 1800's, there were continuous trading routes between Bruges, Belgium and Norwich, England. As ratting Terriers commonly travelled on these early trading ships, the early development of the Norwich and Norfolk Terriers was probably influenced by the Belgium breed, the rough coated Griffon Bruxellois.