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Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

Thomas Duckham of Baysham Court: Hereford Breeder, Herd Book Editor and MP

A tenant farmer at Baysham Court kept the Hereford Herd Book and carried the cattle man's case into Parliament.

Who Was Thomas Duckham?

Thomas Duckham was a Herefordshire tenant farmer who combined cattle breeding with record keeping and public service. He was born on 26 September 1816, the second son of John Duckham of Shirehampton, near Bristol, and died on 2 March 1902 at his home in Holmer, aged 85. The Wikipedia entry on Duckham gives the outline of his career.

He is best remembered in cattle circles as the man who edited the Hereford Herd Book. Without a reliable register, a breed is only a type of animal. With one, it becomes a recognized breed, and Duckham was part of that step for the Hereford.

Baysham Court and Pedigree Herefords

Duckham farmed at Baysham Court, near Ross, as a tenant, and bred pedigree Hereford cattle there. In 1845 he married Anne Yeomans, a widow whose first husband, John Yeomans of Moreton, was a noted Hereford breeder. That marriage connected him to one of the better-known herds of the county.

He was educated at private schools in Bristol and Hereford, then worked his way into the circle of Herefordshire breeders at a time when the breed was moving from local fame to national and then international attention.

Editing the Hereford Herd Book

The biography of Duckham says that for twenty years he edited the Hereford Herd Book. The Herefordshire Through Time page on Hereford cattle breed promotion gives the surrounding story. The first volume, published in 1846 by T. Eyton of Wellington, Shropshire, entered 551 bulls from 75 breeders, and a second volume followed six years later with 350 more bulls.

In 1857 Duckham of Baysham Court was asked to publish the Herd Book annually, with a fee of 11 shillings for each head of stock entered. Annual publication meant that new animals and sales could be recorded quickly, which suited a breed whose exports were growing.

The Key to Duckham's Success

Duckham's influence came from service to the breed as much as from the cattle he bred himself.

These points stand out in the record:

  • He bred pedigree Herefords at Baysham Court on a tenant farm.
  • He edited the Hereford Herd Book for twenty years, giving the breed a dependable register.
  • He was asked in 1857 to publish the Herd Book annually.
  • He joined farming organizations, serving on the councils of the Central Chamber of Agriculture and the Herefordshire Agricultural Society.
  • He founded the Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculture and chaired it in 1883.
  • He took breeder concerns into Parliament as a Liberal.

Chambers of Agriculture and Local Office

Duckham organized farmers beyond his own county. He founded the Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculture and became its chairman in 1883. He also sat on the councils of the Central Chamber at Bath and the Herefordshire Agricultural Society.

Closer to home he served as a Justice of the Peace, an alderman of Herefordshire County Council from 1888, a member of the Ross Board of Guardians, and chairman of the Ross Highway Board for 15 years. With Thomas Treherne he also built St Nicholas Church and the city gaol on Gaol Street in Hereford.

Member of Parliament

Duckham sat as a Liberal. He was Member of Parliament for Herefordshire from 1880 to 1885, alongside Sir Joseph Bailey and Michael Biddulph, until the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided the seat. He then represented Leominster in 1885 and 1886, succeeding James Rankin, and was in turn succeeded by Sir James Rankin.

The sources read do not detail his speeches on cattle, so it is fair to say only that a working breeder and herd book editor held seats in the House of Commons during those years.

The Hereford Breed in Duckham's Day

The Herefordshire Agricultural Society was founded in 1797, and national competition began with the Royal Agricultural Society of England in 1839. The Hereford Herd Book Society was incorporated in 1878, and American interest, especially from the western prairie ranch areas, grew in the 1870s and 1880s.

To follow how these cattle ended up on the range, see farm.FM's ranching section and a farm.FM story about Hereford cattle.

Timeline

  1. 1816Born on 26 September
  2. 1845Marries Anne Yeomans, widow of the breeder John Yeomans
  3. 1846First Hereford Herd Book volume published by T. Eyton
  4. 1857Asked to publish the Herd Book annually
  5. 1880Elected MP for Herefordshire
  6. 1883Chairman of the Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculture
  7. 1885Becomes MP for Leominster
  8. 1902Dies on 2 March at Holmer

Frequently asked questions

Who was Thomas Duckham?

Thomas Duckham (1816-1902) was a Herefordshire tenant farmer at Baysham Court, a pedigree Hereford breeder, editor of the Hereford Herd Book for twenty years, and a Liberal MP.

What did Duckham do with the Hereford Herd Book?

He edited it for twenty years, and in 1857 he was asked to publish it annually, with a fee of 11 shillings per head of stock entered.

Was Thomas Duckham an MP?

Yes. He was a Liberal MP for Herefordshire from 1880 to 1885 and for Leominster from 1885 to 1886.

Where was Baysham Court?

Baysham Court was a tenant farm near Ross, Herefordshire, where Duckham bred his pedigree Hereford cattle.

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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