112 CATTLE. 



Mr. Berry, in h\s Jirst history (of 1824), says positively, that " Sir 

 William St! Quintin, of Scampston, imported cows and bulls from 

 Holland." In his second, (page 96 of this volume,) he qualijies this 

 positive assertion to the following, viz.: " it is asserted that about the 

 period in question (1740) Sir William St. Quintin, of Scampston, im- 

 ported bulls and cows from Holland." 



Mr. Bailey, in his Agrlcultm-al Survey of Durham, says : " an at- 

 tempt to imjprove the Teeswater breed (which I suppose was more 

 with regard to size than any other quality,) was made by Mr. Mi- 

 chael Dobison, of the Isle, near Sedgefield, who brought a bull out 

 of Holland, that is said to have improved the breed. A few years 

 after, some other adventurers went over to Holland, and as great 

 bulls were then considered the criterion of perfection, they brought 

 home a complete lyery animal with immense buttocks, which did a 

 great deal of mischief ; but there were some intelligent breeders that 

 steered clear of this evil ; and from them the pure Teeswater breed 

 has descended to the present time." 



All the authorities for importations of Dutch cattle from Holland 

 to England, last century, have here been quoted. Mr. Youatt had ob- 

 viously investigated this point, and he says : " At what particular time 

 they found their way to England, or by whom they were imported, 

 is unknown ; but there is a tradition, that towards the close of the 

 seventeeth century, (prior to 1*700,) a bull and some cows were m- 

 troduced into Holderness." He does not mention Michael Dobison. 

 Mr. Berry states that " it is asserted that Sir William St. Quintin, of 

 Scampston, (which is in Holderness, Yorkshire,) imported bulls and 

 cows from Holland ;" but he does not mention Dobison in either of 

 his histories. Mr. Culley states : " I remember a Michael Dobison, 

 who went in the early part of his life into Holland, to buy bulls, and 

 I have been told these bulls did much service in improving the 

 breed." Martin, in his history of cattle, says, " by what crosses the 

 Teeswater strain became established, it is scarcely possible to say ; 

 there is, we believe, soiiie reason for thinking that one was with the 

 semi-wild white breed, and another with choice cattle, imported di- 

 rectly from Holland." Martin, one of the scientific officers of the 

 Zoological Society of London, is distinguished for his extended re- 

 search in the department of the history of cattle. Both Martin and 

 Youatt quote Culley ; and neither gives any credit to the assertion 

 that Dobison imported bulls from Holland. Bailey, in his Survey ot 

 Durham, gives it little or no credit, saying that it is said that Dobi- 

 son's bull improved the breed ; and yet Bailey distinctly states his 

 belief that Dobison's attempt to improve the Teeswater cattle was 

 moi-e with regard to size than any other quality. 



The elder Mr. Colling, father of Charles and Robert Colling, was 

 contempoianeous with Dobison, and lived within five miles of him. 

 Mr. Culley was bom in 1*735, at Denton, within fifteen miles of Dobi- 



