A Brief History of British White Cattle

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	Early History
	The Twentieth Century
	Dual Purpose Qualities
	British White Cattle Overseas
	The Expansion of the Breed in the UK
	Further Reading

Early History

The modern day breed of cattle known as British Whites can claim links with the ancient indigenous wild white cattle of the British Isles, notably from the Lords Park at Whalley Abbey in Lancashire bought by Richard Assheton in 1553.

In 1697, Ralph Assheton of Middleton Hall near Manchester inherited Whalley Abbey and in 1765, Mary Assheton, heiress to Middleton, married Sir Harbord Harbord (Lord Suffield) of Gunton Hall in Norfolk. Mary Assheton took with her some of the white polled cattle from her former home, which were reputed to have originated from Whalley Abbey.

	A British White Calf

The Gunton Park cattle were the foundation of at least two herds of note:

The first of these was through Lord Suffield's daughter-in-law Lady Caroline Harbord who succeeded to Blickling near Aylsham, Norfolk in 1793. Although the exact date of arrival of the Gunton cattle at Blickling is unknown, it was between 1793 and 1812. These became almost extinct from cattle plague about 1860, with only two individuals remaining, but from these the herd was built up again and survived to help in the foundation of many other herds and the Park Cattle Society itself in 1918.

The second herd, founded from Gunton stock, was that at Woodbastwick, established in 1840 by the purchase of one or two animals at a sale held by the fourth Lord Suffield. For many years, the red pointed animals were preferred at Woodbastwick and black pointed calves were transferred to Blickling, and vice versa. However, by 1918 the universally dominant colour was black pointed, with red points occurring at a similar low level of frequency as today.

	British White Cows with their newly born calves

The breeders of these cattle were engaged in a continual struggle to maintain numbers, and from time to time small amounts of blood from other breeds was introduced in order to avoid problems associated with in-breeding and to achieve the desired type. (The article on page 7 of the 1998 British White Breed Journal by Mr. J. Cator gives a full account of these outside sources used between 1840 and 1918 in the Woodbastwick herd).

Another herd which contributed much to the early development of the breed was the Somerford herd owned by Sir Walter Shakerly, Bart., of Somerford Park in Cheshire. Unfortunately, no record of the origin of this herd exists, although it was described as being intermediate in type between the horned and polled park cattle.

The Shakerly family originated from a place of the same name close to Middleton where the Norfolk herds originated.

	A Herd of British White Cattle

Somerford is only fifteen miles from Lyme and thirty from Chartley, both lines of ancient horned herds and reference was made to the similarity between the two. Indeed, horned animals were not uncommon in the Somerford herd and have had a considerable influence in the horned White Park breed (see Vol. XII the Park Cattle Society's herd book).

Between 1875 and 1918 several exchanges of bulls took place between Somerford and the herds at Woodbastwick and Northrepps (founded about 1890 with a bull from Woodbastwick and a cow from Blickling), thus the blood from all these founding herds was mingled. Apart from those already mentioned another three polled herds assisted at the time of the foundation of the Park Cattle Society in 1918. The herd at Bawdeswell was one of the largest and was an offshoot from the Northrepps herd which was divided between members of the Gurney family in 1912.

The Kelmarsh herd was founded in 1903 by animals brought from the Blickling herd on which bulls from other polled herds were used. The Faygate herd, founded in 1908 was at first mainly of horned derivation, but by 1918 had been divided into two, horned and polled, the polled section based on cows from Northrepps and Kelmarsh, with a Kelmarsh bull.

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The Twentieth Century

	A British White Calf

By the beginning of the twentieth century, there was an awareness that the outstanding qualities of 'Park Cattle' could best be conserved and promoted by the banding together of breeders. Sir Claud Alexander, owner of the Faygate herd, writing in the 1912 "Amateur Menagerie Club" Year Book says:

"I would, however, strongly advise anyone who may think of forming a herd to go to the polled variety for his foundation stock, for they have been kept from time immemorial for their milk and beef producing qualities, and right well do they justify their existence... The Somerford cows are excellent milkers and one of mine averages five gallons a day when in full profit. In addition to this they are big heavy beasts and give a good return from the butcher when their milking days are over.... Mr Quinton Gurney's herd at Northrepps Hall is a thoroughly practical one, for on it devolves the task of keeping the town of Cromer supplied with milk. At Woodbastwick too, some grand milkers are to be found, and here great attention is paid to beef producing powers, as the records of the local fat stock shows frequently testify... If anyone who reads these notes and feels inclined to form a herd will communicate with me, I shall be pleased to supply any information that may be required."

	British White Heifers

And so, shortly afterwards in January 1918 the Park Cattle Society was formed "with the object of keeping records of Park Cattle, wild and tame, of developing and popularising their great commercial qualities as well as keeping up scientific interest in this most ancient race". It is a matter of some pride and satisfaction to all present members of the British White Cattle Society that those original aims are still being maintained with considerable success. The first volume of the Park Cattle Society's Herd Book was published in 1919, and it is interesting to note that the constitution and rules of the Society remain materially unaltered to the present day. In volume III (1922), the first breed standard was published. It stated that "Park Cattle shall be large and massive, dual-purpose cattle of symmetrical appearance", also "length of legs - medium, in proportion to the size of the animal the legs should be such as to avoid any semblance to an appearance of 'shortness' or 'longness' of leg length".

	Herd of British White Cattle

In the early years of the Society (up to 31st December 1940) the registration of Park Cattle took two forms. Firstly, those animals certified by the owners of any established herd to be without cross of any other breed were issued with a pedigree number (indicating the view of the Society that where outside blood had been used. In the past it was accepted that its influence was now so diffuse that it would not prevent the animal from breeding true to type). Secondly, cattle that were partly of registered blood could be registered on inspection, provided they were, in the opinion of the inspectors, eligible according to standard. These entries were given a pedigree number followed by the letters IFS. In addition a grading up register was started in 1928 allowing breeders to register half bred animals at section A (first cross) to become eligible for pedigree registration at the fifth cross or generation of pedigree blood. With careful selection, for type and colour, and no doubt strengthened by the inclusion of wider blood lines the breed swiftly re-established a strong, distinct and predictable type.

In 1946, the two forms of Park Cattle, horned and polled, decided to split and administer their own affairs, and thus the British White Cattle Society evolved.

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Dual Purpose Qualities

Great notice is taken in the earlier herd books of the milking properties of the cattle. Most of the polled herds were at that time commercially milked and detailed records are given of both herd and individual performance, often with notable successes in competition with other breeds. The earliest mention (Vol. IV) is of the success of Messrs. Buxton and Birkbeck in winning the Norfolk milk recording Society's small herds competition with an average yield of 10,616 lbs per cow for five Park (polled) cattle in competition with all other breeds.

	British White Bull Woodbastwick Jack Sharkey

In Vol. VI, the Woodbastwick bred heifer Faygate Laura is said to have given 10,160 lbs in 327 days with her first calf and 12,603 lbs in a year with her second. Whilst in Vol. IX special mention is made of Bawdeswell Catmint, who gave 13,876 lbs in 326 days and obtained a certificate of merit with a yield of 35,928 lbs in three years. The fact that milk records were included in the herd books reflects the importance placed upon the excellent dairy properties of the cattle by the pioneer breeders. The ability to milk heavily is one of the qualities which sets our breed apart from those it competes with in the commercial arena today.

Alongside the obvious attention paid to the milking ability of the breed is the esteem in which its beefing qualities were held by the early breeders. Beginning in vol. XIII, the results of the Norfolk and Norwich fat cattle show are included in some of the early herdbooks and they provide ample evidence of the excellence of the breed in that arena.

Jumble, a steer owned and bred by the Cator family, was first and best of all breeds at Norwich fatstock show in 1931. Aged 2 years 5 months and 6 days and weighing 13cwts 1qtr 10lbs (679 kgs), he sold for £45 10s 0d, the highest price per cwt of any animal in the show. In 1934 the 2nd prize winner, Crescent, owned by Major Q. E. Gurney of Bawdeswell weighed 15cwts 2qtrs 1lb (789 kgs) at 2 years and 10 months.

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British White Cattle Overseas

	Jack Sharkey with his herd

The first instance of the export of British White Cattle recorded in the herd book is that of the bull Woodbastwick Jason 411 exported to Columbia in 1928. Between 1949 and 1951 2 bulls and 6 females were shipped to Brazil from the Bawdeswell, Bolwick and Hevingham herds and in 1956 the bull Bawdeswell Nordic 1247 went to Kenya. It is; however, in Australia and the USA that the breed has taken the firmest grip both countries having their own breed societies with a considerable number of registrations.

There is some evidence that British Whites may have been introduced to the United States in the 18th Century by English immigrants, but what is certain is that in 1941, in the face of a threatened German invasion of Britain, five cows and one bull were shipped to Pennsylvania on the orders, it is said, of Winston Churchill. These animals, with the addition of several bulls subsequently exported from England, form the foundation of todays British White herds in America.

The first exportation to Australia consisted of three in-calf heifers from the Woodbastwick herd.

Details of current addresses for British White Cattle Associations world wide are available from the B.W.C.S. office.

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The Expansion of the Breed in the UK

	A British White

At the formation of the Park Cattle Society in 1918 there were 7 recorded herds containing 16 bulls and 115 females. In 1990 there were 116 herds containing over 1,500 registered cattle.

This rise in the fortunes of the breed has meant that it is no longer listed by the RBST as a rare breed, joining the Longhorn, among others, in the minority breeds category.

Given the strengthening numerical position of the breed in recent years the British White Cattle Society decided on a structured closure of the grading up register, beginning in 1996. This will limit the introduction of non British White blood into the breed, and should further continue the process of ensuring that the British White remains true to the type that has graced our countryside for centuries.

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Suggested references for further reading

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