CHAPTER V. 

 MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED. 



The three years intervening hetween the Ply- 

 mouth Royal and the next meeting, held in 1868 at 

 Leicester, was a period during which a material 

 change of sentiment occurred in respect to the type 

 of cattle to be sought. The "Sir Benjamin era" 

 was now passing. It had been characterized by a 

 steadfast adherence to scale coupled with heavy 

 flesh smoothly disposed. More attention was now 

 to be paid to quality, and in this trend Sir Thomas 

 and his get were destined to receive high public 

 favor. 



At the Worcester Royal, Mr. Coleman, the Duke 

 of Bedford's representative, had expressed himself 

 pointedly and emphatically in favor of paying less 

 attention to mere size, and at the two next subse- 

 quent meetings this sentiment was clearly becoming 

 more prevalent. Sir Thomas had been bought in 

 1864 by Mr. Monkhouse of The Stow, but owing 

 to the death of that able and distinguished old-time 

 breeder in 1866 his herd had to be sold, with Sir 

 Benjamin's great son included. Sir Thomas, it will 

 be recalled, was bred by Roberts of Ivingtonbury 

 from a cow called Lady Ann, by Arthur Napoleon 

 (910), he by West Australian (1114), a son of 



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