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Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

Robert Colling of Barmpton: The Quiet Brother Behind the Shorthorn

Robert Colling began with dairy cows, then built a Shorthorn herd at Barmpton that became the center of interest after 1810.

Who Was Robert Colling?

Robert Colling was the elder of the two Colling brothers who stand at the base of the Shorthorn breed. He was born in 1749 and died unmarried at Barmpton on 7 March 1820. Charles gets most of the headlines for the Durham Ox and the great 1810 sale, but Robert's herd carried equal weight in the eyes of breeders of the time.

The Wikipedia entry on Robert Colling describes him as an English stock breeder and eldest son of Charles Colling of Ketton, near Darlington. The Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Foundation also has a portrait entry for him.

From Grocer's Apprentice to Farmer

Colling's start was not glamorous. He was apprenticed to a grocer in Shields, on Tyneside, and returned to his father's farm because of poor health. He spent time at Hurworth and then took a farm at Barmpton under the Lambton family.

He began with dairy cows and, by the account in the biography, had no thought of becoming a breeder of Shorthorns. The change came through his brother Charles, whose advice shaped his first important purchase.

Hubback and the Barmpton Herd

Robert's pedigree herd began with a yellow-red and white bull, bought on Charles's advice for eight guineas. That bull was later sold to Charles for the Ketton herd and became known as Hubback. Through Hubback the two brothers' herds shared a common foundation, and one of his daughters produced the roan calf that became the Durham Ox, as described on the Charles Colling page.

In other words, Robert supplied the animal that helped found the herd for which Charles became famous. It is a good reminder that breed history is usually a story of exchanges between neighbors and brothers, rather than a single inventor.

A Shyness Between Brothers

The brothers did not always work in step. A shyness developed between them, intensified in March 1793, and the Barmpton and Ketton herds lived apart for a time. Relations later became more friendly, though the sources do not give the cause in detail.

After Charles sold his Ketton herd in October 1810, Robert's Barmpton herd became the center of interest among breeders. He continued the Ketton inbreeding system at Barmpton without bringing in outside blood.

The Key to Robert Colling's Success

Robert's success was less about invention than about steady application of a system that worked.

The documented record points to these lessons:

  • He took good advice and bought his foundation bull on his brother's recommendation.
  • He kept the herd closed, continuing the Ketton inbreeding system without outside blood.
  • He passed a founding animal, Hubback, to Charles, which strengthened both herds.
  • He stayed in place at Barmpton and let the herd's reputation grow after 1810.
  • He accepted the risks of inbreeding as a deliberate method, with results tested at sales and shows.

The White Heifer and the 1810 Sale

One animal made Barmpton famous. A white heifer, a daughter of the bull Favourite, weighed 1,820 lb at age four. Thomas Weaver painted her, and William Ward engraved the picture, published on 13 December 1811 with a dedication to Robert.

She was bought by two butchers and shown at Christmas 1811 at the Three Kings stables in Piccadilly, when she weighed 2,448 lb. Earlier, at Michaelmas 1810, Robert's herd was auctioned: 61 lots sold for 7,852 pounds 19 shillings. A final sale followed on 3 October 1820.

Legacy and Honors

Robert Colling died at Barmpton in 1820 and left his property to his brother Charles, who had sold the Ketton herd ten years earlier. He is remembered with his brother as a founder of the Shorthorn breed, which went on to shape beef herds across Britain and the Americas.

To follow how breed founders still matter on working ranches, try farm.FM's ranching section, or read a farm.FM story about Shorthorns.

Timeline

  1. 1749Born, eldest son of Charles Colling of Ketton
  2. 1793A shyness between the brothers intensifies in March
  3. 1810Barmpton herd auctioned at Michaelmas: 61 lots, 7,852 pounds 19 shillings
  4. 1811Weaver and Ward's white heifer picture published on 13 December
  5. 1820Dies at Barmpton on 7 March; final sale on 3 October

Frequently asked questions

Who was Robert Colling?

Robert Colling (1749-1820) was an English stock breeder at Barmpton, County Durham. With his brother Charles he is counted among the co-founders of the Shorthorn breed.

What was Hubback?

Hubback was a yellow-red and white bull Robert bought for eight guineas on Charles's advice. He was later sold to Charles and became a foundation animal for the Ketton herd.

How did Robert Colling's herd sell in 1810?

At Michaelmas 1810 his herd was auctioned: 61 lots sold for 7,852 pounds 19 shillings, according to the biography.

Did Robert Colling have children?

No. The biography says he died unmarried at Barmpton on 7 March 1820 and left his property to his brother Charles.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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