CHAPTER XII. 



The Lyme Park Herd — The Legh Family — HansalTs Account of the Herd — My 

 own Visit, 1875 — Details given by Mr. Legh — Attempts to procure a Cross — 

 Result of the Chartley Cross — Curious Result of the Polled Gisburne Cross — 

 Habits of the Old Lyme Cattle — Larger than any existing Wild Breed in 

 this Country — The Burton Constable Herd — Refusal of Information — 

 Bewick's Account — Destruction of the Herd by Distemper — Probable Origin 

 of the Herd. 



The Lyme Park Herd of wild cattle is alluded to by 

 Bewick as one of the ancient herds, but he does not 

 seem to have known any particulars about it. Lyme 

 Park, in Cheshire, is about seven miles north of 

 Macclesfield, and closely abuts upon that wild part of 

 North Derbyshire which forms the High Peak, sur- 

 rounded formerly by numerous extensive forests. It is of 

 great extent, and has belonged since its first enclosure 

 to a branch of the old Cheshire family of Legh. Sir 

 Piers Legh, when very young, bore the standard of 

 Edward the Black Prince at the Battle of Crecy and 

 took the Count de Tankerville prisoner. For these 

 services he was rewarded by the prince with a money 

 grant ; but in place of this he received from that 

 prince's son, Richard II., the grant of Lyme Park, 

 which was enclosed for the purpose from the Royal 

 Forest of Macclesfield, of which it formed part. Sir 

 Piers married the daughter of another Crecy hero, and 

 had a son — Sir Peter — who eventually fell at Agin- 

 court ; while he himself, devotedly loyal to his unfor- 

 tunate sovereign, was beheaded at Chester, in 1399, by 



