1:803. Account of the Northumherland Breed of Shefp. 30^ 



Many people alfo, upon the coaft, about tlils time, particularly 

 in the paridi of Warkvvorth, got Durham or Teffwater tups to 

 crofs from. Probably the large fize, and immcnfe weight of 

 this breed, * with the fimilarity of the coall pallurcs to thofe by 

 the river Tees, was the caufe of this mealure. From Wark- 

 worth parilh, fouthward to Tinemouth, and all up the Tyne to 

 the neighbourhood of Hexham, (where the Mcfl'rs bates, Joblings, 

 and a few others, formerly kept a permanent breeding flock, 

 much of the Biflioprick or Teefwater kind), as alfo all the way 

 northward into Coquctdale, nothing but a running (lock was 

 formerly, and (till is, kept j that is to fay, ewes are bought in 

 at Michaelmas, and they and their ofi'spring all fold off by the 

 Michaelmas following, or thereabouts, 'fwo reafons may he 

 afligned for this mode of Tnanagcment — Firil, The land, in ge- 

 neral, through a great part of this extenfive tra£l, is not fouTid 

 or fafe for keeping a permanent breeding flock : Secondly, The 

 vicinity to Morpeth marketj where amazing numbers of fat lambs 

 are fold through the whole of fummer, to fupply the immenfe 

 confumption of Newcaftle, Shields, Sunderland, and all that vafl 

 population upon the fides of the rivers Tyne and Wear, where 

 the greatefl coal-works in the world are carried on. Perhaps, 

 too, mifiersy keelmcn^ znd /coa/heavcrsj eat more animal food, in 

 proportion, than any other clafs of people in the ifland ; and, as 

 a proof of their flrength of appetite, 1 take the liberty to men- 

 tion the following anecdote, well known in and about Newcaftle. 

 The keelmens' wives have long had a praclice of dropping 

 quarters of lamb, or joints of mutton, into the keels, Ironi 

 off the bridge at Newcaftle, as the keel paiTes below. One of 

 the keelmen, feeing his wife at her ufual Hand, cries, * Drop^ 

 drop, d — n you, drop, what are you about F ' The wite replies, 

 * The d — / choke thee^ for that is the feveiith joint this week. ' 



The flieep upon the coall kept gradually improving, by their 

 croffes with rams from LincolnOiire and Tees fuie ; but the ad- 

 vances feem to have been flow indeed, when compared to thofe 

 made in the iera of which we are now to fpeak, as the mugs 

 were flill in poffefTion of all the low parts of GlendaJe, and a 

 confiderable extent of the low part? of Coouetdalc. About the 

 year 1767, the MefiVs CuUeys entered upon the farm of Fcnton, 



F f f 3 * neat 



* More than forty years ago, Mr Hutchinfon, of Snckbiirn, (a farm 

 by the Tees fide), bred and ftd a wedder, which weighed above 60 lib. 

 per quarter. 1 have loft my memorandum ; but, if 1 recoiled right, 

 the weight of the quarter was 62 lib. and odd ounces ; which, 1 bclipv-e, 

 iaas not yet been exceeded by any in England. 



