It was with sadness that I heard that Honor Eades of the famous Jesson Beagles had passed away on the 19th January 2011, writes Doug Hall.
I have known Honor and her husband Jesper since the early 1970’s. Honor always had time for people, she was quick witted with a lovely sense of humour. She had a passion for our breed and was instrumental in the setting up of Beagle Welfare, encouraging Joan Lennard to take on the role of the first Secretary.
Honor was a great supporter of The Beagle Association, serving on the Committee for many years as Cup Steward. Her displays on the stand always stood out and when she retired from the Committee, she served for many years as Vice President.
Her knowledge of the breed was second to none, she was always particularly conscious of size. Honor was ready to help anyone. She would advise on the correct speed to move your dog, the correct lead etc. At shows you would often hear Honor calling to Jesper to get the next dog ready, while she was in the ring with her dogs. They were a great partnership.
Honor was a very clever breeder. The one that stands out for me was Champion Jesson Quaintly, a lemon & white who won 33 CCs and the bitch ticket at Crufts three years running. Watching them in the ring, Quaintly never put a foot wrong, paying attention to her handler, who she obviously adored. I first saw Quaintly at the Northern & Midland Beagle Club when she was four months old. I asked Honor to sell her to me, unfortunately for me, she declined my offer.
Before the war, Honor had always been a supporter of hunting and although this had to stop when war broke out, she was always a great supporter of the working section of the Beagle Club.
Honor was liked and respected by many in our breed and will be missed by all who knew her. We send our condolences to Jesper and their sons Stephen, Robert and Guy.

Honor Eades, one of the Beagle world’s greatest personalities, has died following a short illness, writes Lesley Rootham.
Beatrice Honor Eades, was born on 13th October 1924, into a prominent Birmingham brewing family. She was the eldest daughter of Dorothy (nee Dare) and Robert Butler and she grew up with her sisters in the family home at Chaddesley Corbett, where she enjoyed a childhood which revolved around dogs, hunting and gymkhanas. It was during this time that her lifetime passion and appreciation of hounds began.
During the war, Honor volunteered for the WRENS and as a Shipwright at the Naval Port at Glasgow, she became a skilled welder. It was whilst serving here that she met her future husband, Jesper who was a Royal Marine Captain with a flotilla of assault craft, which Honor repaired.
They ‘clicked’ and corresponded for the duration of the war. Jesper returned from Burma in 1946 and they were married the following year at St Cassians Church, Chaddesley Corbett. Their sons Guy, Stephen and Robert were born in 1950 and 1952. Jesper’s business involved extensive, international travel and Honor often accompanied him. She particularly loved India and the family skiing holidays in Switzerland.
In 1962, whilst living in London, Honor spotted an advertisement in ‘The Field’, for Forrardon sired, Beagle puppies. So began a fifty year adoration of the breed.
Amber, their first Beagle, was very much a family pet and she lived with an assortment of other dogs, including Dachshunds and Pekes. In 1970, Honor bought her first show Beagle, the Jesson kennel’s foundation bitch, Jesson Forrardon Rhapsody from Jerry Meek. In a daring move, she mated this tan and white bitch to a tan and white dog, Ch. Houndswood Havoc and the litter produced her first Champions, the ‘Jesson twins’, Fencer and Fantasy.
In the years that followed, Honor made up 19 Beagle Champions, 15 of these were home bred from just 34 Jesson litters – a tremendous achievement.
The kennel “star” was undoubtedly Ch. Jesson Quaintly. She not only had the looks but also the temperament, an outstanding show girl, she loved every moment in the ring. She won 33 CCs, many with BOB and she took the Crufts Bitch CC on three successive years ’90, ’91 and ’92. Her record is unlikely to be bettered by another tan and white Beagle.
Other multiple ticket winners included Ch Jesson Saddler who won 16 CCs and Ch Jesson Clinker with whom she won the Hound Group at Bournemouth. He was probably Honor’s favourite hound. He wasn’t a particularly happy show dog but he made the effort for her and she felt a very special bond with him.
In spite of the chronic back pain which she suffered from for most of her adult life, Honor continued to show her dogs into her 85th year, her skill as a handler and ability to present her Beagles to their best advantage being truly enviable.
Honor was a highly respected judge. Without fear or favour, she judged the dogs on the day, with absolute honesty and integrity. The zenith of her judging career came when she judged at Crufts in 1999.
In 1979, Honor was one of the first ladies to become a full member of the Kennel Club.
For many years she served on the committee of the Beagle Association and for over 20 years was one of their Vice-Presidents. Whilst on the committee, she was instrumental in setting up the breed rescue organisation, Beagle Welfare.
Home life and family were enormously important to Honor. She was an instinctively good cook, and visitors to the long time family home at Allington, were always treated to Honor and Jesper’s generous hospitality. She was a passionate, knowledgeable gardener with a keen interest in nature and ecology.
Honor Eades was a loyal and steadfast friend. Her passion and knowledge of Beagles was infectious and inspiring. Her dry sense of humour and sometimes irreverent wit, meant that a day spent ringside with her, watching the judging, was both highly enjoyable and educational.
The Beagle world will be a much poorer place without her and those who knew Honor personally, feel a terrible sense of loss at her passing, none more so than her much loved family and husband, Jesper, who concludes with this tribute to his wife. ‘No man has had a braver wife, a more loving wife, who was always very kind, very generous and fantastically loyal and a wise adviser, than my very dearly loved Honor. After 63 wonderful years together, she leaves an everlasting bottomless pit in my life and the lives of our three sons and grandchildren.’

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