246 WILD WHITE CATTLE. 
tradition with regard to the origin of this herd exists ; 
for its appearance, according to Mr. Storer, bespeaks 
great antiquity. In answer to inquiries on the 
subject, the present owner, Sir Charles Shakerley, 
replied : “‘ We have no history of how they came, or 
how long they have been here. I am of the third 
generation which has known nothing about them. 
The tradition is, they have been here two hundred 
vears.” It is quite possible that, like those at Lyme 
and Chartley, they may have been originally wild in 
the adjacent forest, and were driven in to the park 
when it was first inclosed. On the other hand, being 
of the same race as those at Middleton, they may 
have come originally from Shakerley, only a few 
miles distant from Middleton and Blakeley. 
WHALLEY ABBEY, LANCASHIRE, had a_ park 
attached, which was originally part of the Forest of 
Bowland (granted by Edward VI. to a branch of the 
family of Assheton), and until 1697 contained a herd 
of white wild cattle, which were polled. Some of 
these, according to tradition, were in that year sent 
to Gisburne Park, as above mentioned, where they 
existed until 1859; the remainder being transferred 
to Middleton Hall, where, after the death of the 
fourth Lord of Sheffield in 1853, they were no longer 
preserved. 
WoLLATon Park, NorrrNGHAMSHIRE, belonging to 
the family of Willoughby, Baron Middleton, was 
formerly part of Sherwood Forest, and held white 
cattle until about fifty years ago.* In 1790 Bewick 
33 
* See Thoroton, “ Antiquities of Nottinghamshire,” 1677, pl. 7, and 
‘Throsby’s edition of this work, 1799, vol. ii. p. 214, pl. 27. 
