February 12, 1868 - April 7, 1940
Legendary british film and stage actor William Faversham had a passion for fighting dogs and when he came to America, he brought them with him. Faversham was a significant player among bull terrier breeders. He was a breeder and judge of bull terrier show dogs.
During his early years in the America, Faversham was at times homeless and spent his sundays pitting his bull terrier against laborers' dogs in Harlem. Faversham's pit dog was a champion.
On August 3, 1891, two of Faversham's 30+ bull terriers SOMEHOW managed to escape their kennels and go on a mauling spree. The bull terriers attacked 2 women and 3 kids and when William Truss came to their aid, they mauled him. Faversham responded and called the dogs off. Truss' flesh was tore from both arms and the back of his legs.
Mayor Thomas H Leonard ordered the man biters removed from the town within 24 hours, not culled.
In September 1897 when he was starring in a Chicago play, he found being apart from one of his dogs unbearable so he wired his friends in New York and asked them to ship one of his dogs. It died en route and Faversham wept and stated he was heart broken.
Faversham died in poverty at the age of 72 in a New York rooming house.
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