176 



CATTLE 



I remember a gentleman of the county of Durham (a Mr. Michael 

 Dobinson), who went in the early part of his life into Holland, in order to 

 buy bulls ; and those he brought over, I have been told, did much service 

 in improving the breed ; and this Mr. Dobinson, and neighbors even in my 

 day, were noted for having the best breeds of Shorthorned cattle. 



Following these importations of Dobinson and St. Quintin, 

 came others of more inferior stock, such as really injured the 

 beef cattle of the country. By Culley's time, however, much of 

 this evil effect, he writes, was overcome. Other improvers of the 

 early Shorthorn were Sir James Pennyman, the Aislabies of 

 Studley Royal, the Blacketts of Newby, Millbank of Barning- 

 ham, James Brown, Stephenson, Wetherell, Maynard, Snowdon, 

 YVaistell, and Richard and William Barker. 



The more distinguished improvers of the Shorthorn really date 

 from about 1780, and include Charles and Robert Colling, 

 Thomas Bates, Thomas Booth and his sons John and Richard, 

 and Amos Cruickshank. There were many other prominent and 



Fig. 65. Ketton Hall, the home of Charles Colling, near Darlington, 

 England. Photograph by the author 



successful breeders, but these men distinguished themselves as 

 epoch makers, about whose careers clusters much of the best in 

 Shorthorn history. 



The Colling brothers. These were Charles and Robert. Charles 

 was born in 1750 and lived at Ketton, just north of Darlington 



