Through the years many families of Rollers have been developed, some have lasted while others have faded. With the passing years it has been more and more difficult to find reliable information on some of the families. In fact, we have seen history being rewritten at an alarming rate. To help document some of the families we’ve set aside space to help those seeking information on them.
Obviously, not all families are covered and at this late date it is impossible to obtain a clear and accurate picture on some of their history. As times pass these older breeders are either placed on a pedestal or vilified with the truth usually somewhere in the middle.
One of the most difficult topics that almost always comes up is how “pure” the family is or was. Almost all breeders have side projects and some of their offspring may or may not find their way into the family. If it makes the family better, then who cares and yet there are those who waste a lot of time debating the purity of families.
When this page was first launched there was discussion about the inclusion of the Casperson, Whittingham, American Rollers, etc. In some circles, “Birmingham Roller” has become synonymous with “Pensom”, however that is inaccurate as the name Birmingham Roller existed long before Pensom was born. The families mentioned above are all based on Birmingham Rollers though now a century later it is hard to trace the exact details.
We at NBRC embrace all families of Birmingham Rollers. Old and new families have their admirers and supporters and that is what keeps this hobby fun and interesting.