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| Birmingham Roller squeaker with grouse legs |
The truth of the matter is, at one time, the vast majority of all Birmingham Rollers were either grouse legged or had short muffed legs. This is due primarily to the fact that these birds originated primarily from what was, in the days of old, commonly referred to in early British publications, as "Sky Tumblers" or "Air Tumblers", which was the old English Flying Tumbler, the Dutch Roller (called in old literature, the German Feather Footed Tumbler), and a breed that was then known as the "White Eye", which was apparently closely connected to the Flying Antwerps and also a forerunner of the Racing Homer. It is notable that the Dutch breed was very heavily muffed. This particular genetic cocktail is as best as can be deciphered about the breed's origin, from the very earliest articles describing these birds, which based on my own study, the first published mention of the Birmingham Roller that I have been able to locate appeared in the October 21st, 1861 issue of the "Journal of Horticulture and the Cottage Gardener". At the time, this magazine was one of the more common magazines in England that included literature on pigeons.
In an article entitled "Tumbling Pigeons" in that issue, by B.P. Brent of Dallington, near Robertsbridge, Sussex, remarked that: "The Birmingham Rollers, or at least those I had sent me, are coarse, common-looking birds of various patchy colours, mostly like a foul marked baldhead, that seems to be generally red or as it is termed, a 'red badge'. Their eyes seem to be as often, bull or often mud-coloured, as they are pearl; the feet unfeathered, and the beaks long. Altogether a very mongrel-looking set. But we must not always judge by appearances. At first I really thought the birds had been changed - they could not be tumblers, but when once they were let out there was no mistake. Their tumbling is extraordinary. Every few seconds, over they go, one, two or three somersaults at a time. Here and there a bird gives a very rapid spin, revolving like a wheel, though they sometimes lose their balance and make a rather ungraceful fall, in which they occasionally hurt themselves by striking some object".
Three years later, in the same magazine, B.P. Brent again put up an article on the subject in the February 2nd, 1864 edition, asking the age old question of "Why Does A Pigeon Tumble?", in which he remarks: "There is a third manner of tumbling, called 'rolling'; in this, the pigeon throws several somersaults, or backsprings, in succession and conjointly, thus falling considerably while flying, sometimes rolling till they touch the earth, and not unfrequently killing themselves. I had two young cocks which killed themselves on the spot in this past summer from this cause, and I have one that cannot come down from his perch except in a roll, and through this, he often raps his head, the remembrance of which causes him to hesitate in coming down to feed. Of course, he would not be safe to let out. He is a Kite (Bronze), heavily feather footed and a large bird".
At this time, B.P. Brent was considered one of the great authorities on pigeons in England and had released several editions of his famous work "The Pigeon Book". It is fortunate that he was particularly fascinated by Flying Tumblers, and especially Rollers. In his 1871 edition of the work, he wrote a lengthy chapter on Tumblers, including a description of what he called the Common European Tumbler, about which he says: "This variety is very plentiful in Germany, Holland and France, and I believe it may be met with in most parts of the Continent. ... They fly well and tumble much. I believe that this is the breed that is now often sold in England as Rollers, so called because of their excessive tumbling or rolling over many times as they fly. They are clean legged, but some of the Dutch have small feathers on the feet".
In the February 24th, 1870 issue of the "Journal of Horticulture and the Cottage Gardener", one writer who routinely wrote under the byline of "Reader", also commented on the Birmingham Roller at length, noting: "The Birmingham Rollers referred to in my commendation of this pigeon, are a stock supplied to me by a Birmingham fancier, and represented to be bred distinctly for high flying and tumbling, and the muffed legs".
Another article in the June 9th, 1870 edition of the same magazine, written by a fancier writing as "Fido", rebuts another writer, stating: "Birmingham Rollers have as good a claim to being a pure breed as any other variety of pigeon we have. They are as often, clean-legged as muffed, that is grouse-muffed or shinned, but we never saw a good roller that was heavily feathered on the legs, similar to the Trumpeter".
In the yearbook of the United Roller Cub of America, published in1937, Homer Robinson, who published the yearbook, remarked of Brent, that he was "an English writer upon the pigeon ,(who) brought twenty Dutch rollers from Holland and gave them to the fanciers around Birmingham to cross upon their strains to improve their tumbling. This is why the Birmingham Roller, to this day, may be found both clean-legged and with grouse legs".
As best as is known, an English immigrant named James Grist, and his son, John, of 2017 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were one of the first to import Birmingham Rollers from England to the United States. Grist and Son came directly from Birmingham and in March of 1878 were known to have received "By (the) steamer Pennsylvania, Mr. Grist received from Liverpool, four pairs of extra choice Birmingham Rollers, selected by his brother Robert Grist, from the best flying kits in Birmingham, England".
Despite this, James Grist had apparently done earlier importations of Birmingham Rollers, for in October of 1879, "The Fanciers' Journal" carried an article written by him which noted that in 1876, he had flown a kit of Birmingham Rollers for spectators at the Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia which was the first "World's Fair". It is said that the birds flew back to their home loft, which was not located too far away. The kit birds, Grist noted, were exclusively direct imports, clearly indicating that Grist had done earlier importations than that done in March of 1878.
His son, John Grist, also writing in 1879 shed some light on his father's involvement with the breed, noting that "Mr.James Grist, the veteran pigeon fancier, had, some thirty years ago, in Birmingham, an excellent shed of these roller pigeons, some of which could easily roll a distance of 15 feet, and were, by the old flying fancy, greatly admired". This then, dates the involvement of the Grist family with the Birmingham Roller dating back to around 1840. John Grist also mentions an old fancier in Birmingham named Charlie Stokes who may have been the source of some of the Grist imports.
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| Red Rosewing Birmingham Roller imported by James Grist. Published in 1879, this is likely the oldest image in existence depicting the Birmingham Roller |
At least two articles by the Grists carry a line drawing of a Red Rosewing Birmingham Roller cock that they called "Red Cloud", who was the first Birmingham Roller to achieve any sort of fame in North America. This bird was directly imported from Birmingham and appears to be the oldest image we have of the Birmingham Roller.
Not only was "Red Cloud" muffed, but his overall type is quite unlike most of the Rollers that we know today.
~ Jack Chambers
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