The Story of Jock
One of the most loved and enduring tales to come out of the Lowveld has little to do with people, the search for gold or the founding of towns. It has to do with a dog that was destined to die. His name was Jock.
The tale of this dog and the adventures he had with his master, Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, have entertained generations of children and become a real South African literary treasure. All based on true stories, the book Jock of the Bushveld might never have come into existence if it hadn’t been for Percy’s children. Before settling in for the night, Percy would tell his children the stories of his journeys with his faithful hound and they were soon pushing him to write a book. When Rudyard Kipling happened to hear the stories one evening, he too encouraged Percy to put it down on paper. It was a story worth telling.
And now Jock of the Bushveld is the stuff of local legend. So much so that you can go and have lunch at The Jock in Nelspruit or pay a visit to the statue of Jock in Barberton. He is as much a part of our local history as Percy Fitzpatrick himself.
The Life Of Percy Fitzpatrick and Jock
Percy Fitzpatrick worked as a transport ride in the Lowveld in the 1880s and there is very little information about his time in this occupation. What we do know is that he travelled around the Graskop, Pilgrims Rest and MacMac area, while his work also took him to Barberton.
One day, while encamped with fellow transport riders and trackers, and without a dog, one of the rider’s pregnant pooches named Jess gave birth to a litter. 6 pups were born but 1 was half the size of the rest. His pelt was dark with faint wavy lines on the fur. All of the other pups were spoken for, but for this one, who was considered a runt. Percy decided this would be his dog, and he named him Jock.
What started as an odd, small puppy, turned into a fearless dog who would run beside his master during their many adventures. He was known for fending off wild animals and protecting Percy during their travels. From day 1, Jock knew Percy would be his owner and up until his death, his loyalty to Percy would be unwavering.
Early on in his life, Jock would lose his hearing after being kicked by a kudu. This unfortunate event would later cost him his life when he was mistaken for a dog killing chickens (Jock had in fact already killed the troublemaker). Although the farmer had called out to Jock, the dog could not hear him, which led to his death.
When visiting the Lowveld and staying at our Mbombela accommodation, go have a drink at The Jock in honour of this fearless companion. Dogs are the friends we don’t realise we need and they deserve a lot more credit than we give them.
