Obituary. 
877 
stock. Holker at that time was difficult of access, there being no 
railway, and the 56 head sold for 1,407^. — an average of 251. 2s. 6d. 
At the next sale, on September 9, 1864, Mr. Strafford was able to 
announce that Holker was within half a mile of the Furness railway. 
At this sale three females made three figures each — the six-year- old 
" Countess of Barrington," sold for 155 guineas to Mr. D. Reynolds 
Davies ; her three-year-old daughter went to Mr. H. J. Sheldon for 
135 guineas ; and Cleopatra 5th sold for 130 guineas to Mr. J. Logan. 
Duke of Oxford 12th, two years old, sold for 210 guineas ; and Duke 
of Oxford 14th, a yearling bull, was sold to Mr. J. Fawcett of 
Scaleby Castle for 155 guineas. Thirty head sold for 1,984/. 10s. — 
an average of 3s. 
The next sale was seven years after, in 1871, when a still larger 
increase was obtained. Then 31 cows and heifers averaged 248/. 2s.; 
12 bulls and bull calves averaged 22N. lis.; the 43 head sold 
for 10,349/. 17s., or a general average of 240/. 13s. 10c/., an advance 
on the previous sale of 174/. 10s. lOd. a head. Three years later, 
in 1874, at another sale, 28 cows and heifers averaged 462/. 8s. 3d.; 
15 bulls and bull calves, 236/. 13s. lid.; 43 head made 16,497/. 12s., 
or a general average of 383/. 13s. 3d., an increase upon the last 
sale of 142/. 19s. 5d. per head. This was the highest draft sale up 
to that day. Shortly before this sale a meeting of Shorthorn breeders 
had been held in Willis's Rooms to form a Society to purchase from 
Mr. Strafford the copyright of Coates' Herd Book, and to carry on 
the Herd Book for the future. The Duke of Devonshire took the 
chair at this meeting "by general acclamation," and was subsequently 
elected the first President of the Shorthorn Society of Great Britain 
and Ireland, which was the outcome of the meeting. 
In 1878 there was another sale. This was the year after the 
sensational Windermere sale, when the Hon. M. H. Cochrane ob- 
tained 8,400 guineas for two Duchess heifers. Mr. Drewry rightly 
anticipated a sale at which the zenith of prices for shorthorns 
seemed to be reached, for eighteen cows and heifers averaged 
794/. lis. 2d., and twelve bulls and bull calves 486/. 7s. 9d. Thirty 
head realised the large total of 19,922/. 14s., and the average was 
664/. Is. lOd., showing an increase in four years upon the average 
of 280/. 8s. 7d. At this sale seven animals made four figures : — 
"Grand Duchess of Oxford 21st " went to Lord Penrhyn for 1,550 
guineas ; " Grand Duchess of Oxford 22nd " to Mr. McCuUoch 
(Australia) for 2,100 guineas; "Baroness Oxford 5th" to Mr. 
Mcintosh for 2,660 guineas; "Grand Duchess of Oxford 38th" 
to Sir John Swinburne for 1,450 guineas; "Grand Duchess of 
Oxford 30th "to Mr. S. P. Foster, of Killhow, for 1,600 guineas ; 
" Duke of Oxford 44th " to Mr. H. A. Brassey for 1,650 guineas, 
and " Duke of Oxford 45th " to Lord Fitzhardinge for 1,500 guineas. 
Between this sale and that held in 1883, no less than 10,000/. was 
received at Holker from private sales. 
The following Table shows the results of the seven sales held at 
Holker during the time the herd has been in the able hands of Mr. 
Prewry : — 
