12 
Sir Jacob Wilson. 
with the Messrs. Thomas C. and John B. Booth, he had a 
preference for their line of blood. He had a small herd at 
Woodhorn Manor, and “ Duke of Tyne,” the Worcester Royal 
prize winner before alluded to, was not his only celebrity 
in his earlier days, as two cows, “ Golden Link ” and “ Lady 
York,” both made their mark in the show ring. At different 
times he bought females from the celebrated herds of Lord 
Polwarth, the late Rev. T. Staniforth, the Messrs. Angus, old 
Northumbrian breeders, and others. His bulls, as a rule, were 
obtained from Warlaby, or from herds bred on Warlaby lines, 
and included two fine red bulls, “ Vice Regal Booth,” and 
“ Merry Christon,” which left a number of first-class calves. 
The herd having outgrown its accommodation, Sir Jacob 
Wilson arranged to include a portion of it in a sale of Short- 
horns held by the Duke of Northumberland at Alnwick Park 
on April 25, 1894. There he sold twenty cows and heifers 
which commanded a ready sale and realised the satisfactory 
average of 42 1. 4s. 2d., which was the highest average made 
during that year. His bull, “ Merry Christon,” was at the 
same time sold for 136?. 10s. In recent years most of the 
young bulls have been sold to go to South America, in some 
cases making large prices, while the heifers have been retained 
in the herd. 
His extensive experience and reputation as a judge of 
Shorthorns caused his advice to be frequently sought by those 
who were forming new herds or who wished to introduce 
fresh blood into existing ones, and he was often a large purchaser 
at the most important sales on behalf of his friends as well as 
for himself. He was a prominent bidder at the historic 
Aylesby sale ; and at the celebrated Warlaby dispersion sale in 
1895 he bought several of the choicest heifers, as well as the 
most promising of the bull calves, “ Sir Lawrence Riby,” to 
join the herd of Colonel North in Kent. On the death of 
that gentleman he secured most of these animals for his own 
herd and removed them to Chillingham Barns, being actuated, 
no doubt, by a desire to preserve and carry on in its purity of 
descent this fine old line of Warlaby blood. “ Sir Lawrence 
Riby ” proved an excellent and impressive sire, and left a 
number of high-class calves. 
Reference has been previously made to Sir Jacob’s more 
recent work in connection with the stamping out of cattle 
disease, and this took active form when, in April, 1888, he was 
selected to preside over a Departmental Committee of the 
Privy Council appointed to inquire into the subject of pleuro- 
pneumonia. This Committee sat for many weeks, examined 
witnesses from every part of the world, and arrived at certain 
conclusions which it is worth while enumerating here. The 
