Agriculhire and the tloiise of Pimell. 
129 
of the famous Woburn Sheep-shearings. These " sheep-shear- 
ings " were far more important than so modest a term would 
imply, and were in reality important meetings, at which the 
Duke's tups and ewes were let at certain fixed prices, choice 
neat stock were exhibited, novel and improved implements were 
shown, wool was sold, and prizes were awarded to the most 
successful exhibitors. There were, indeed, all the elements of a 
CTodern agricultural show ; and to these must be added the 
unbounded hospitality dispensed by the Duke, who entertained 
two or three hundred visitors at the Abbey for several days in 
succession. Contemporary records of these gatherings are full 
of interest, and we find amongst the names of those present the 
Duke of Manchester, the Earls of Egremont, Lauderdale, Spencer, 
ajid Winchelsea ; Lords Sherborne, Preston, and Ludlow ; Sir 
John Sebriglit, from Worcestershire ; Sir Thomas Carr, from 
Sussex ; Sir John Riddell, from Roxburgh ; Sir John Ramsden, 
from Yorkshire ; Sir Charles Davers, from Suffolk ; Mr. Coke, 
of Holkham ; the President (Sir John Sinclaii') and Secretary 
(Mr. Arthur Young), of the Board of Agriculture ; the President 
of the Royal Society (Sir Joseph Banks) ; Messrs. EUman 
(Sussex), Parsons (Somerset), Westcar ' (Bucks), Quartly 
(Devon), Jobson (Northumberland), Buckley and Stone 
(Leicestershire), Ducket ^ (Surrey), and many others whose 
patronymics are, or have been, familiar to agriculturists. In 
the chronicle for 1800 we are told that the call for post-horses 
and conveyances on the London road was so great that many 
could not get to Woburn till the business had commenced ; 
others were obliged to go by indirect roads, and then, failing 
to get conveyances across country, were compelled to walk a 
number of miles. 
The order of proceedings was much the same year by year. 
At nine in the morning of the first day of the meeting in 1800 
the Duke gave a public breakfast at the Abbey, and about two 
hours later the company proceeded " in a grand cavalcade," 
headed by liis Grace, to " the new farm-yard," to inspect the 
sheep-shearing, at which " five of the best hands that could be 
procured " were employed. Thence they proceeded to a building 
specially erected as an exhibition-room, to see the ewes or tups 
to be let for the ensuing season. The Duke then opened the 
' At the Sheep-shearing in 1801 Mr. Westcar received tlie tlianks of the 
meeting " for the successful exertion of his talents in rearing Leicestershire 
cattle." 
^ In 1799 the first gold medal of the Board of Agriculture was given to 
Mr. Ducket for his general merit as a cultivator, and also for having presented 
his skim-coulter plough to the Board, ottering to fix that coulter free of ex- 
pense to ploughs sent to hira from any part of the kingdom. 
VOL. n. T. S. — 5 K 
