i86 WESTMORLAND AGRICULTURE. 1800— 1900 



about 1840, but gave up in 1857 when he went south and started a 

 herd near St. Albans, he also kept a flock of pure Leicester sheep. 

 In the southern part of the county, in addition to those previously 

 mentioned, the early breeders were : Thos. Scott of Green Head, 

 R. Morton of Skelsmergh Hall (who started breeding about 1825, 

 his first bull, " Chance," being registered in 1827, and as the herd is 

 now in the hands of John Morton, it constitutes the oldest herd with 

 that at Lowther to be found in the county), W. E. Maude of Holme- 

 scales with Todd of Grayrigg, Willison of Underbarrow, Simm of Water- 

 crook, and Richard Taylor of New House, and many others in a lesser 

 degree too numerous to mention. About 1850 Ellison of Sizergh, 

 Nicholson of Kirkby Thore, Scott of Greenhead, and Morton of Skels- 

 mergh were the chief Shorthorn breeders. Scott's entire herd were sold 

 off in 1867, when the farm was taken by Wm. Handley, who imme- 

 diately started with the purchase of a number of good dairy cows by 

 F. C. Ellison's " Tenant Fanner," 13828, and his bulls have since 

 become world renowned ; the farm and herd passed into the hands of 

 his son John in 1887, and the fame of the stock has not been 

 diminished. 



The Revd. Thos. Staneforth of Storrs started, in 1858, his first 

 entry, being in vol. xiv. of Coates' Herd Book in 1859, his first pur- 

 chases were from Knowlmere Manor, nr. Clitheroe. At his draft 

 sale, held at Kendal in 1869, 15 cows and heifers averaged £36 4s. 8d. 

 and 4 bulls £35 3s. 6d. ; in the following year his average was just over 

 £42 per head, and in 1877 29 females averaged £93 i6s. and 8 bulls 

 £55 ; there were many representatives of the Mantalini family in 

 this sale. Staneforth's herd was finally sold off in 1887, together 

 with his pure St. Kilda sheep. In 1877 the Hon. W. H. Cochrane 

 sold 35 head of Shorthorns he had brought over from America at 

 Millbeckstock, Bowness, when 30 females brought £14,984 lis., average 

 £499 9s. 8id. ; 5 bulls brought £1,383 i8s., average £230 13s. At 

 this sale the Earl of Bective gave 4,300 guineas for the " Fifth 

 Duchess of Hillhurst." 



The Shorthorn herd at Underley was started by Lord Kenlis, 

 afterwards Lord Bective, in 1868 by purchases at Killhow and Sittyton ; 

 at the former sale 9 females and a bull were purchased for £1,200, 

 and in 1873 three animals were imported from America at £11,306 5s., 

 6,000 guineas being paid for the " Tenth Duchess of Geneva." 



