52 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



Eyton, the originator of the English Hereford Herd 

 Book, one of these market cows was a grey called 

 Pigeon and the other a dark red with a spotted face 

 called Mottle, and that they attracted the notice of 

 young Tomkins who had begun farming at Black- 

 hall, King's Pyon on account of their evident dis- 

 position to take on flesh. It is assumed that other 

 selections were made from time to time from the 

 best contemporary sources as opportunity offered, 

 that in making his purchases the propensity to 

 take on flesh was always kept in mind and that color 

 was quite a secondary consideration. 



Upon a mixed foundation therefore, in so far as 

 blood elements were concerned, the Silver Bull, "a 

 red with a white face and a little white on his 

 back," was used with such success as to attract 

 much attention, and presently the herd came to be 

 noted for three leading "families" the Pigeons, 

 the Mottles and the Silvers. The latter were the 

 color of the bull of that name, the Pigeons were 

 grey and the Mottles were speckle-faced. No at- 

 tempt was made to fix a uniform color. Form and 

 flesh were the objects sought, and by resort to a pol- 

 icy of breeding in-and-in the desired qualities were 

 ultimately well established. 



Tomkins occupied the Blackball farm until 1798 

 when he removed to his birthplace, Wellington 

 Court, which he had held under lease since his fa- 

 ther's death in 1789. He resided there until 1812, 

 at which date he moved into his own place, Brook 

 House, King's Pyon, where he died in 1815. 



