68 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



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was maintained was gravelly and half mountain- 

 ous. There was no pampering nor coddling. Size 

 and constitution were prime objects and the stock 

 became noted for its vigor as well as quality. John 

 Hewer kept these 1 characteristics steadfastly in 

 mind, and his success probably entitles him to be 

 called the greatest Hereford breeder of his genera- 

 tion. 



The Jeffries. No reference to those who devel- 

 oped the Heref ords in England during the first half 

 of the nineteenth century would be complete with- 

 out mention of the name of Jeffries. They finished 

 their labors in the ante-herd book days. Most of 

 their cattle were bred on the farms known as The 

 Sheriffs, Lyonshall and The Grove, Pembridge. The 

 stock came originally from the Hay woods of Clif- 

 ton, while- the fine old strains of Edward the elder 

 (1720-1807), Edward, junior (1755-1834), and 

 Thomas, senior (1759-1840), were among the best 

 in the district. Thomas, the younger (1796-1843), 

 attained -special fame as a breeder, largely through 

 the ue of Hewer bulls'. He had on hire at different 

 periods such celebrities as Sovereign (404), Lottery 

 (410), Byron- (440) and Fitzfavorite (441). The 

 cross of these great bulls upon the old Jeffries f am- 



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ilies produced cattle of splendid scale, substance 

 and quality. 



The first Eoyal show was held at Oxford in 1839 ; 

 In that year a very celebrated bull won the prize as 

 best aged bull, -viz., Cotmore (376). He was then 

 only 3 years and 10 months old. He was bred and 



