| To simplify the story of the Allen Roundheads for | | | | more common English Whitehackles such as the |
| those who haven't heard it before.Will Allen of | | | | North Britons, Earl of Derbies, and so on but |
| Mississippi obtained a Boston Roundhead | | | | many of the Irish had pea combs. The original |
| gamecock from Dr. Fred Saunders and crossed | | | | Kearney (and Duryea) Irish Whitehackles had a % |
| him over some hens that a blend of Redquill and | | | | of pea combs as well as the Irish Whitehackles |
| Grist Grady. The Gradys' were originated | | | | bred by my Irish friend John Tynan. I think he |
| seemingly as a succession of battle crosses by | | | | called them Queen Anne Whitehackles but I have |
| Col Grist of GA. Some of the breeds making up | | | | forgotten for sure.Remember after England |
| the Gradys were Claiborne, Shawl neck (Southern | | | | colonized India, the English breeders had access to |
| USA Whitehackles) and Warhorse, plus a bit of | | | | the best Oriental fowl such as Asil and even |
| Spanish blue stock.Since all these breeds are | | | | Japanese. These Oriental bloodlines were then |
| straight comb, it would seem that Boston cock | | | | added to the early English fowl of 500 yrs. or so |
| had very strong pea comb genes to give that | | | | ago that weighed only around 4 lbs.-about like the |
| characteristic to his offspring and descendants for | | | | small Spanish cocks today. The Oriental crosses |
| generations to come to this day- after 100 yrs. | | | | increased the size to around 5 lbs. or bigger, which |
| or so.I have owned many, many "Roundhead" | | | | most American cocks are today.Over the years, |
| fowl over the past long yrs. I have been in the | | | | the English breeders bred out the pea comb but |
| sport. I put the name in quotes because it refers | | | | since it didn't bother the Irish, they continued to |
| (in the USA) to most any pea comb fowl that | | | | breed both straight comb and pea comb |
| happens to be black breasted reds with white or | | | | Whitehackles. Of course the name Whitehackles |
| yellow legs and that do not show too much of | | | | comes from the old English custom of trimming |
| their Oriental lineage.However there are also Black | | | | the neck hackles close to the skin so that the |
| Roundheads and Negro Roundheads and on and | | | | cocks with a white under feather in the neck |
| on. So now it is used more as a generic term for | | | | would be a whitehackle. There are also breeds |
| pea comb fowl than as the name of a specific | | | | called Blackhackle. There are jillions of Oriental |
| breed. However, generally the name refers to the | | | | American crosses that come peacomb and are |
| Allen and Shelton Roundheads (Shelton was Allen's | | | | called Roundheads that contain not a drop of the |
| brother-in-law and they owned the fowl together). | | | | original Allen bloodline. As is true for all other |
| But another" however" the Allen Roundheads | | | | strains-some Roundheads are awfully good while |
| were breed and to a great extent developed by | | | | others are awfully bad but most are somewhat in |
| another old man-R.E. Walt. In fact in my younger | | | | the middle. The pea comb Kelso fowl owe much |
| days, most of the Roundhead gamefowl around | | | | of their good qualities to the George Smith |
| OK. were referred to as RE Walt Roundheads | | | | Roundhead (same stock as Lundy Roundheads) |
| instead of Allens.You might ask about the Boston | | | | that was blended with Claret to make the |
| Roundheads that made the Allens. They arrived in | | | | McClanahans that Walter Kelso used in his initial |
| the USA from Ireland without an ID tag. | | | | cross.For more information regarding gamefowl |
| According to my sources, these fowl were | | | | history, breeds and bloodlines visit the |
| known to be Irish Whitehackles-bred just like the | | | | sites below. |