Capt. John Edwardes, who started the breed now so well known, was born in 1809. He joined the 23rd Regiment (Royal Welsh Fusiliers), and served at Gibraltar with them, where he hunted the Calpe Foxhounds. On returning to his own county and settling down at Sealyham after his mother´s death, he ran a pack of foxhounds, the ruined kennels of which are to be seen by the woods down the drive. Fond of every kind of sport, he devoted much of his time and experience to perfecting his favorite breed of terriers, carefully keeping the ideal points meant for work in front of him. As he grew older he was seldom seen without them, having been noticed on more than one occasion in the chair at public meetings with three or four Sealyhams sitting quietly by him, while he could give no greater proof of his affection or liking for any friend or relation than to offer him one of his precious puppies. His younger brother, Capt. Owen Edwardes, afterwards of Sealyham, also went in largely for terriers, though his do not seem to have been of so distinct or marked a type as those of his brother. However, they were sporting little dogs , and the old gentleman might often be seen starting off for a day´s shooting with quite a pack of them ready for snipe moors, gorse or bracken. He used to tell a good story of his experiences in the Rebecca Riots, when he , an officer in the Pembroke Militia , was called out to keep down the rioting. He and his brother officers had been so harried by constant alarms and riots and longing so much for a day´s shooting, that he wrote himself to Rebecca asking for a day´s truce, so that he could have some sport with his terriers. Rebecca answered most courteously agreeing to his request and kept “her” world honestly, too, so that the gallant  militiamen got their sport in peace.

After the death of the two brothers, respectively in 1891 and 1893, the Sealyhams went down sadly in the world, and became scattered all over the country, but in 1903 Mrs Edwardes, of Sealyham, made an effort to revive the standard of the old breed by offering prizes at Haverfordwest show. The first entry was certainly a success as far as numbers went, but evenness of type was hardly there, every cross-bred low-legged terrier in the county at all resembling the Sealyham being entered.

The class created much derision amongst English fox terrier men. one well known authority declaring that when he bred puppies like those he drowned them. Perhaps he has altered his opinion by now and has become one of the old breed´s admirers! However, the class was such a success in point of numbers and aroused such interest that the popularity of the variety was at once established, and Mrs Edwardes continued giving the prizes for some years till the classes could quite well pay for themselves. Then, one day in the smoking room at Sealyham, a quartet of terrier lovers - namely, Mrs Victor Higgon (formerly Mrs Edwardes), Mr J.H. Howell and Mr Adrian Howell - agreed to make an attempt to start a Sealyham Terrier Club and sent out notices to all the local papers to call together those interested to discuss the question. The club was started in 1908 and was lucky enough to get as a president Lord Kensington, who has become such a successful breeder. The best dog, bitch, brace and team at the Crystal Palace Show in October 1910, the first time the breed was accorded classes at a big English show, were from his kennel. The club was also fortunate in persuading Mr J.H. Howell to become the hon. secretary. Has has not only kept the breed for years, but has used them for hunting otters, finding them game and keen on their work.

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