12 SHORTHORN HERDS OF ENGLAND. 



The name of the owner of the Carperby herd was as familar to 

 frequenters of show yards in the days when the two " Admirals " 

 were in the height of their success, as that of Mr. Handley's during 

 the past seasons ; and it was to pay his herd a visit, that we got out 

 at Aysgarth Station on our way to cross the border into Westmore- 

 land. The Carperby Manor House farm in the occupation of Mr. 

 Thomas Willis Jun., is situated about equal distance between the 

 East and West Coasts, at an elevation of 700 feet above sea level. 

 In the preface to the last private catalogue of the herd, the owners 

 truly remark " it was all important to have a race of animals of 

 great hardihood and strong constitution, to enable them to resist the 

 vigour of the climate and lay on heavy flesh, with the ordinary food 

 of the farm." Mr. Thos. Willis, Sen., the founder of the herd and 

 Wensleydale flock, now in his 95th year, resides with his son, and 

 altho' long retired from active life must have had great satisfaction and 

 pleasure in seeing the building up of the herd, which under the 

 management of him and his son, have produced such animals as 

 Bride of Windsor, Rose of Lucknow, Royal Windsor, and Vice 

 Admiral and his brother. 



The first pedigree cow at Carpsrby was Dewdrop. purchased by 

 Mr. AVillis, Sen., at Mr. Claridge's sale at Jerveaux Abbey in the 

 year 1838. in the days of the present owners' boyhood, being his 

 first shorthorn sale, and when he contracted that admiration of 

 the breed which he has since so successfully manipulated. Between 

 1838 and 1850 all the females were brought, from which the herd now 

 descends, Star and her daughter Swinton Rose, were purchased 

 piivately from Capt. Harcoutt, of Swinton Park, about 1842, from 

 whom also came Venus by Symmetry 5384, both Star and Venus were 

 from a cow by Fitz Champion, whose dam was by Young Snowball, 

 so in the last catalogue the descendants of the two Swinton cows 

 are classed as members of one family, as shown above the sires were 

 the same, if not the dams also ; Brittania was bred by Mr. John 

 Ewbank, of Nutwith Cote, and from her oome the Lily's ; Fanny, 

 of Mr. John Ceiling's Rachel tribe, purchased for 18 as doubtful at 

 Mr. C. Topham's sale, proved a baigain, as taking to breeding after 



