In memory of

Brenda Gwendoline Partridge

9.6.1916 – 11.11.2011

Clitters Gordon Setters

I knew Brenda for around 34 years; we were almost neighbours in West Devon, close to Dartmoor.    She encouraged me when I purchased my first Gordon.

Brenda was born in Northamptonshire and from 1935 – 39 trained as a nurse at Leicester Royal Infirmary, later doing Midwifery at Edinburgh and London.

It was when she came to live in Devon in 1956, that Brenda became very close friends with the local community midwife, Joyce Damerell.  They enjoyed horse riding and the other significant interest they shared was dogs… hunting dogs and gundogs.  Joyce had Saluki’s, Pointers, Spaniels and Gordon Setters, but it was the Gordons which captivated Brenda.  Joyce gave Brenda her first Gordon Setter puppy.  The two friends trained their gundogs for work, and in those days, also exhibited.

However Brenda soon realised that it was in the pure working lines that her interest lay. She built up a respected small kennel – CLITTERS – named after the outcrops of rocks on nearby Dartmoor where she trained her dogs. Her breeding is well documented in RF Truman’s Working Gordon Setters, and she wrote the section on The Field Trial Champions for Bert and Mary Dyde’s Book ‘British Gordon Setter Champions’ FTCh Joker of Cromlix featured in several pedigree’s, as did Trempleogue Coolwinna, Altemenagh, Freebirch, Crafnant and Norwegian bloodlines. Brenda wrote regularly for

breed publications always hoping to inspire owners to discover the magic of the working Gordon.

We spent many companionable hours whilst she described the characteristics of many dogs in her pedigrees and in pedigrees which interested me. There were not many, if any, motorways in the early days but Brenda travelled the country with her dogs in a Morris 1100.

A keen correspondent, discussions by post were many and varied on all topics connected to Gordon’s. The passion for her breed saw Brenda joining with Joyce, first in becoming founder members of the West Dartmoor Working Gundog Club and then in organising training weekends for beginners. Many triallers today recall the encouragement and support generously given. Nicky and I were members of the ‘back up team’ providing meals and accommodation!

Although regularly in the awards, it was not until Sara Chichester (Wiscombe) owned and handled a Clitters bitch ‘Pippit’ (Sara’s first setter) that Clitters had a FTCh. This was in 1996, and I well remember the celebratory party in Co.Durham.

One of the first Gordoners to advocate monitoring hip status, Brenda regrettably discarded an excellent bitch – Clitters Katy Gordon – from her breeding programme, only to find when the current scoring system came into practice, that the score was actually well below breed average.

Wanting to ensure Clitters continued, Brenda gave her Affix to Terry Harris, and now Nicola Harris, Terry’s daughter, is ‘Clitters’. Penny Darragh (Ensay) and Dennis Longworth (Bringwood) have Clitters FT Ch’s in which Brenda naturally took great pride. A number of kennels now have Clitters bloodlines within their pedigrees.

In August 2009, recognizing that even with carer support she could no longer live independently, Brenda made the decision to transfer to Devonia Nursing Home, only a mile from her beloved lodge house and in the area where she knew so many families from her days as the local Health Visitor.  Her room at Devonia looked out on to Dartmoor where she had spent so many fulfilling hours training and working her Gordon Setters with like minded friends. 

An independent, strong personality, Brenda had a full life, and treasured her little Lodge house where she enjoyed her dogs, rearing the occasional litter of puppies, welcoming many acquaintances to share the pleasure of her home and garden, and lots of conversation.

Brenda was 95 when she died, peacefully.

Sylvia Ackerley

Yennadon Dual Purpose Gordons