Nottm Review 1838.11.23 Toppins & Plainheads @ Royal Kids-FSS

Lancs-Owen Saunders, Stockton on Tees 1908.10.18-FSS

Lancs silver medal SLC&FA 1902 (Eastbourne Auctions)-FSS

Royal Children-Thomas Cooper Moore 1890 (Walton House Antiques)-FSS

Show report Crown & Cushion Nottm Journal 1838.11.09-FSS).jpeg

The Old Varieties, Part 5: the origins of the Lancashire Coppy

Posted on 08/03/202630/12/2025 by Huw Evans 1 Comment

“It is not a long journey neither is it a very expensive one, so that anyone wishing to obtain high-class stock would do well to take a trip to the Continent.” R.L. Wallace, The Canary Book (1875) Thus began Wallace’s advice on how to import canaries from Belgium. He gave details of the departures, the […]... Read More

The Old Varieties, Part 4b: postscripts on the Scots Fancy canary

Posted on 22/02/202630/12/2025 by Huw Evans 2 Comments

Due to the length of “Part 4: the origins of the Scots Fancy canary”, I divided the article into two parts. Part 4b adds three postscripts. The footnotes follow the same numbering sequence as Part 4a. Postscript 1: The decline of the Scots Fancy canary The Scots Fancy declined both in popularity and quality towards […]... Read More

The Old Varieties, Part 4a: the origins of the Scots Fancy canary

Posted on 15/02/202630/12/2025 by Huw Evans 3 Comments

“This in every way most remarkable canary is, as its name suggests, a creation of our neighbours across the Tweed, and is wholly and entirely an exclusive speciality, as is the ‘postuur vogel’ in Belgium, of which birds it is doubtless an offshoot, and is, in truth, the ‘postuur vogel’ of Scotland.” W.A. Blakston in […]... Read More

Wallace (1st Edn)-Belgian Crystal Palace 1874-FSS

Blakston Belgian canaries colour plate-FSS

Dewar 'ideal Belgian' C&CBA 1905.10.20-FSS

Belgian canaries at the Nottingham Poultry Show 1858-FI

Morning Herald 1840.05.18 Mrs Freestone's ad for Belgian canaries-FSS.jpeg

The Old Varieties, Part 3: the Belgian canary in Britain

Posted on 01/02/202630/12/2025 by Huw Evans 3 Comments

In 1853 Robert Wallace visited Joseph Greenwell, a bird dealer in the county of Durham, to purchase his first Belgian canaries (1). He found several ‘old practical hands’ already waiting at Greenwell’s house, and a bidding war ensued as soon as he put the birds on display. The type of bird they wanted was “so […]... Read More

Old Varieties, Blaauwe Jan poster 1752-FI

The Old Varieties: an introduction

Posted on 28/12/2025 by Huw Evans 6 Comments

While the primary focus of this blog is the London Fancy and the Lizard canary, my research often overlaps with the history of other varieties that became established during the 19th century. They are the canary breeds that we now call the ‘old varieties’. The problem with this description is there is no widely accepted […]... Read More

Lizard canary basics, part 14: the rise and rise of rowings

Posted on 03/12/2017 by Huw Evans 12 Comments

Rowing, also known as breastwork, borst tekening, and dessin de la poitrine et flancs (1) has been the rising star in the Lizard’s firmament for as long as I can remember. Anyone who has studied the Lizard’s ancient history will know that the popularity of rowings has been growing steadily for much longer than that.... Read More

Lizard canary basics, part 13: in fine form

Posted on 09/01/2017 by Huw Evans Leave a comment

My guest contributor this week is Ernest Gracia, an OMJ judge living in Gibraltar, and presently a co-opted member of the IOA committee, as its representative in Gibraltar. Ernest is not a Lizard canary breeder, but he takes a special interest in the breed and is regularly invited to judge at the two Spanish Lizard […]... Read More

fine spangled sort

The London Fancy and the Lizard canary

Blakston