Hamlet Inspired Dog Names

Okay, admittedly, there are no characters named Ben in the iconic Shakespeare play. That name was not particularly popular in Bard’s time, and he was also particularly fond of foreign names too, however, there is a famous Ben who played the role of Hamlet in the Old Vic theatre in London. Many actors strive to one day step on the Old Vic’s stage and bring to life one of the most important, inspiring, and conflicting characters in literary history, Hamlet. The lucky actor who got that chance was Ben Whishaw, an English actor famous for his roles in Skyfall, Paddington, and Cloud Atlas. 

Ben Whishaw also shares a name with quite the famous doggo – Huddersfield Ben. Ben was a lovely Yorkshire Terrier known to be the first of his kind, widely regarded as the “father of modern Yorkies.” This handsome fellow, born in 1865, won numerous awards at various dog shows and had quite an impressive pedigree! His mom, Lady, was the great-granddaughter of the famous Old Crab, who, apart from having a funny name, used to be one of the famous terriers regarded as the predecessor of the Yorkie. 

Huddersfield Ben is considered to be the foundation sire of Yorkshire Terriers, a title that he surely held in high regard. He fathered many children, well, puppies, who later on became known as Yorkies, and he is recognized as one of the most fantastic stud dogs that ever lived. According to his owner Mary Ann Foster from West Yorkshire, Ben was a very good boy. He was a dog of poise and class, having won over 70 prizes in various dog shows. He was also a little bit of a celebrity in his neck of the woods, having famously won many rat-baiting competitions. In that time, Terriers were used to kill rats around the house and in the mines in the area. Also, during the Second World War, they were in the trenches with the soldiers, getting rid of pesky rats and keeping the rows clean.

Unfortunately, Huddersfield Ben was run over by a carriage at the age of six. He was quite young, and his death devastated everyone, especially his owner, who decided to preserve his body so everyone can see the founder of the Yorkie race. All Yorkshire Terriers are his children, so Ben would be quite proud if he saw them today, being happy and loved all over the world, just like he was in his short life.