X 

 THE GRASSY LANES OF HURWORTH 



Would the curious story of how a once nameless 

 bull emerged from absolute obscurity into the lime- 

 light of bovine glory interest anybody as we pass? 

 Possibly not. Nevertheless he was to all intents 

 and purposes the ADAM of his race, and as such 

 has to do directly with the forbears of trainloads 

 of good bullocks contributed weekly to all our 

 central markets. 



In that fateful year, A. D. 1776, one JOHN HUNTER, 

 a bricklayer by trade, lived in the sleepy village of 

 Hurworth, situated on the north bank of the Tees 

 in the county of Durham, just across that little 

 river from Eryholme, the place where CHARLES 

 COLLING afterwards found and purchased Lady 

 Maynard. HUNTER had once been a tenant farmer 

 and bred cattle. On leaving the farm and removing 

 to Hurworth, he sold off all these except one 

 particularly prized little cow, which he took with 

 him. Let it be observed in passing that size was 

 at this time accounted a most valuable asset in 

 the cattle of the valley. As HUNTER had no pas- 

 ture of his own, this cow was turned loose to 

 graze in the grassy lanes round about the village. 



60 



