138 HISTORY OF THE SHORT-HORNS. 



if ever, consulted a physician. A month before death, however, his 

 health began to fail, a disease of the kidneys became painful and 

 harassing, and he went to Redcar to try the effects of the sea air, 

 but which, so far from removing, seemed only to increase the malady. 

 It was sometime before he could be prevailed on to -consult a med- 

 ical adviser, and when he did he refused the greater part of his 

 medicine. 



"He gradually sunk and died on the 26th day of July, 1849, and 

 was buried in the church-yard at Kirkleavington. A monument was 

 erected to his memory by a few friends and admirers of his exertions 

 in stock breeding, with the following inscription : 



THIS MEMORIAL OF 



THOMAS BATES, 



OF KIRKLEAVINGTON, 



ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED BREEDERS OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE, 



IS RAISED BY A FEW FRIENDS WHO APPRECIATE HIS LABORS 



FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF BRITISH STOCK, 



AND RESPECT HIS CHARACTER, 

 BORN 2IST JUNE, 1776 DIED 26TH JULY, 1849." * 



THE SALE OF MR. BATES' HERD AND THEIR ENGLISH SUCCESSORS. 



Mr. Bates left a will bequeathing a considerable estate principally 

 to two or three nephews. The only one of these engaged in agri- 

 culture was settled in Germany, and had no time or opportunity of 

 attending to a herd, so that it came to be sold on the pth of May, 

 1850. One of the nephews of Mr. Bates, living at Heddon, in North- 

 umberland, but then residing in London, who we understand was a 

 lawyer, was made his executor, and wound up the estate, a valuable 

 portion of which lay in his cattle and other farm stock. There were 

 some other difficulties we have learned, arising out of the conditions 

 of the will, with a threat by some of the dissatisfied heirs, to throw it 

 into chancery. The stock was expensive to keep, and troublesome, 

 for one not acquainted with it, to manage. Added to these embar- 

 rassments, Short-horn cattle generally were low in price at the time. 

 Rival breeders also had their eyes upon them, and hoped to drive 

 good bargains at the sale ; and it is stated that Lord Ducie, who, in 

 the event, became a considerable purchaser, tried an underhanded 

 scheme for a part of it, which, however, the executor detected and 

 foiled. The sale had been widely advertised, and as might be sup- 

 posed, the final disposition of the herd of such a noted breeder drew 



* Bell's History. 



