No. 6. 



Sketch of Robert Bahewell, Esq. 



171 



soon became his confidant. There is little 

 doubt that he entered actively into his mas- 

 ter's plans, for he had the entire control over 

 the formation of the new breed, under the 

 direction of Mr. Bakewell, but they kept the 

 manner in which it was accomplished a pro- 

 found secret.* This seems somewhat strange, 

 as Mr. Bakewell was a liberal-minded man, 

 and in after years, the knowledge of his pro- 

 cess might have been of essential service to 

 his country. But his whole mind was devo- 

 ted to the science in which he had engaged, 

 and while he was practically working out his 

 plans, it is probable that if any of his schemes 

 proved failures, he wished them to be kept 

 as secret as possible. In this he acted wisely, 

 for too frequently the observations of " good 

 natured friends," tend to damp the spirit, and 

 check the energies of a man who risks his 

 reputation on the success of his experiments. 

 Hence it is, that we are so little acquainted 

 with the crosses he used to form in his beau- 

 tiful flock. Conjectures have been various : 

 some have considered that the principal cros- 

 ses he made, were between the old long- 

 wooled Leicesters, and the ill-formed animal 

 that in those days fed upon the grassy hills 

 of Chorwnod forest; but, after all, conjecture 

 is not proof. It may be taken as a fact de- 

 nying dispute, that all his crosses were made 

 from the best individuals of the different 

 flocks, and these he in all probability, crossed 

 again with some of another breed. His great 

 object was to gain the greatest weight of 

 meat upon the smallest quantity of bone, and 

 to combine this with symmetry of form, early 

 maturity, fine quality of flesh, and a propen- 

 sity to fatten. Some breeders consider the 

 size of the animal to be too small, but Mr. 

 Bakewell's opinion was, that a greater quan- 

 tity of mutton would be procured from a 

 given quantity of acres, grazed by a larger 

 number of small sheep, than from a smaller 

 quantity of larger animals possessing less 

 appetite. 



Arthur Young, who is no mean authority, 

 informs us that Mr. Bakewell was very cu- 

 rious in the breed of his sheep, and he con- 

 sidered both his rams and his ewes to be per- 

 fect specimens. He describes their appear- 

 ance thus: — "Their bodies are as true bar- 

 rels as could be seen; round, broad backs, 

 and the legs not above six inches long ; and 

 a most unusual proof of kindly fattening, is 



♦Probably the invariable custom of Mr. Bakewell, 

 not to engage his servants for a term of less than four 

 years might have contributed to prevent the secrets of 

 his system being known. The well-used servant na- 

 turally becomes attached to his master, and the honest 

 one will never betray the confidence that has been re- 

 posed in him. 



their feeling quite fat just within their fore- 

 legs on the ribs, a point in which sheep are 

 never examined in common, from common 

 breeds never carrying any fat there. In his 

 breed of sheep he proceeds exactly on the 

 same principle as with oxen, the fattening 

 in the valuable parts of the body, and the 

 living on much poorer food than other sorts. 

 He has found from various experience in 

 many parts of the kingdom, as well as upon 

 his own farm, that no land is too bad for a 

 good breed of cattle and particularly sheep. 

 It may not be proper for large stock, that is, 

 large-boned stock, but undoubtedly more pro- 

 per for a valuable well-made sheep, than the 

 usual wretched sorts found in most parts of 

 England on poor soils, such as the Moor 

 sheep, the Welch ones, and the Norfolks; 

 and he would hazard a moderate stake that 

 his own breed, each sheep of which is worth 

 several of those poor sorts, would do better 

 on those poor soils than the stock generally 

 found on them ; a good and true shape hav- 

 ing been found the strongest indication of 

 hardiness." 



According to Mr. Young, the breed of the 

 sheep was originally Lincolnshire, which 

 was wonderfully improved by Mr. Bakewell; 

 and another person, who visited Dishley in 

 1790, informs us that he was likely to make 

 by his tups that season, fully to the amount 

 of' 3000 guineas. But notwithstanding the 

 large amount of money that Mr. Bakewell 

 was in the habit of receiving from the pro- 

 ceeds of his stock, at the very noontide of his 

 fame he became involved in great pecuniary 

 difficulties, which would not appear to have 

 been brought on entirely by the expenses he 

 bestowed on the necessary experiments for 

 perfecting the improvements of his flock, but 

 from the large number of visitors that con- 

 gregated together at Dishley. Several of 

 the principal of our nobility were frequently 

 his guests, and Mr. Bakewell, whose dispo- 

 sition was as liberal as his mind was noble, 

 entertained them in the same expensive style 

 as they were accustomed to live in them- 

 selves, when at home. This of course in- 

 creased the expenses of his establishment 

 enormously, and the host of Dishley Grange 

 might truly have told some of his guests, as 

 the Lady Rendlesham once remarked to the 

 last Duke of York, when he took his leave, 

 that Rendlesham House was considered to 

 be the best inn on the road. It was also an 

 unfavourable period for making money by the 

 cultivation of land ; the war with America 

 had considerably reduced the value of pro- 

 duce, and the article of wool, which was of 

 the utmost importance to him, was so greatly 

 depreciated, that it was sold as low as nine 

 shillings per ton. All other articles being 



