The Story of John Wheeldon, a Famous and Unusual Rat-Catcher in England in the Early 20th Century

John Wheeldon, later known as John Gaunt, achieved widespread renown as a most unusual rat-catcher. His fame was reported widely across local and national newspapers from the early 1900s until his death in 1924. He was still recorded in magazines as late as the 1950s.

John Gaunt with his three terriers, three fox cubs and ferret.

John was the son of Robert Gaunt and Joanna Poyser Wheeldon. He was born at Heage in Q2 of 1850 a few months before his parents were married and so was recorded as John Wheeldon.

On December 13, 1875, John Wheeldon married Rose Ann Petts at Derby. At his marriage he was aged 25 and his wife was aged 19; both recorded as living on Duffield Road, Derby. John had no father recorded. This was not unusual when the father’s surname differed. John was working as a smith and Rose Ann as a machine worker.

Sometime in the early 1900s John Gaunt’s expertise at rat catching became famous. As well as rat-catching he was also a prize-winning member of Ambergate Cottage Garden Society.

John lived in Sawmills, England but worked for the Midland Railway Company, as a rat-catcher. He was the only person known to have successfully trained foxes to kill rats for economic use, and claimed they were better then terriers because they could hold five rats in their mouths at once. The rat-catcher had to be quick, because unlike the terrier, foxes did not kill the rats outright. His two best foxes where killed accidentally by gamekeepers.

John with his tame fox and two terriers.

Such was his national fame he was described in a book as a “great sportsman and Englishman.” What follows are a few of the many newspaper articles about his time as a rat caches.

Derbyshire Times, February 7, 1900:

John Gaunt of Ambergate had an interview with the Council on the question of rat-catching. The Hurst Hill tip is a terrible nuisance to the tenant near. Gaunt was engaged as professional rat-catcher at £3 per year and will make periodical visits.

Aberdeen People’s Journal, December 23, 1905:

John Gaunt who lives near Ambergate, Derbyshire, and is the official rat-catcher to the Midland Railway, has trained a fox to be as expert as reliable a rat-catcher as any of his dogs.

Leominster News, December 29, 1905:

All railway companies suffer from periodical plagues of rats at their big warehouses, especially at the granaries. At Newark the Great Northern have recently been caused very considerable loss and trouble by the swarms of rodents, numbering thousands which infest the place. John Gaunt, who lives near Ambergate, is the official rat-catcher to the Midland Railway , and with his pack of terriers is an interesting and familiar figure in the district. He is usually to be seen carrying fox under his arm. It is a tame fox, which he has trained to be as expert a rat-catcher as any of his dogs.

John died on November 14, 1924 at the home of William Lees, grocer, in Belper Market Place. He was buried at Crich on November 18, 1924. His obituary was much reported in the press.

Derby Daily Telegraph, November 18, 1924:

The death is announced at the age of 82, of John Gaunt the famous Derbyshire ratcatcher.Gaunt lived for many years at Saw Mills, Ambergate but had latterly resided at Belper. A sketch of his somewhat remarkable career appeared in these columns in July last. He was for many years the official rat-catcher of the old Midland Railway Co. and was one of the few followers of his calling who trained for cubs to work with his terriers in the business of rat extermination. Apart from his one-time railway connection, Gaunt with his four-footed assistants, Gaunt was a familiar figure on various estates in Derbyshire, and the adjoining counties.He was also noted for the skill and resourcefulness he displayed in his work in the far distant part of the country. He used foxes for 45 years and carried them in bags from one place to another, though he would often be seen, as, for instance, in and about Derby Station with one or two juvenile Reynards under his arm or arms and a couple of alert little terriers at his heels. He has been called the prince of rat-catchers. Strange that Gaunt should have been gathered to his fathers – if so be he really is dead – just about the time of the Government rat week!

Derbyshire Times, October 25, 1924:

PUBLIC NOTICES

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL NATIONAL RAT WEEK

The week commencing Monday November 3rd has been selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for concerted action throughout the county the DESTRUCTION of RATS and MICE. The public are urged to assist by special efforts in that week to destroy any rats and mice on their premises.

Derby Daily Telegraph, November 19, 1924:

NOTED RAT-CATCHER DEAD

John Wheeldon, generally known as John Gaunt, the Ratcatcher was buried on Tuesday at the village of Crich. He was 73 years of age, and is believed to have killed over a quarter of a million rodents. He specialised in the use of foxes for ratcatching and was known the land over for his his other successful methods. Lately he lived the life of a recluse at Belper.

MR JOHN GAUNT

On Friday last the death place of Mr John Gaunt and the residence of Mr Lee, Market Place, Belper. Mr Gaunt was at one time well-known as the famous rat-catcher and could frequently be seen with his dogs following his daily work. He died at the age of 74 years. The funeral took place on Monday at Crich, the chief mourners being Mr and Mrs Lee (Belper) and Mr and Mrs F.J. Lynam (Fritchley).