Robert Colling (1749 – 7 March 1820), and his brother Charles (1751 – 16 January 1836), were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

stock breeders, famous for their improvement of the

Shorthorn The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late eighteenth century. The breed was developed as dual-purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however, certain blood lines within the breed always emp ...

breed of cows.

Life

He was the eldest son of Charles Colling of

Ketton Ketton is a village and civil parish in Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is about east of Oakham and west of Stamford, Lincolnshire. The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 1,926, making it the fourth largest settlement in ...

, near

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

, and brother of Charles Colling. After receiving "an ordinary education", he was apprenticed to a grocer in Shields; but "not having his health" he came home to his father's farm and commenced an agricultural career. After spending some time at Hurworth, he entered on a farm at Barmpton, under the Lambton family. He had then "no thought of becoming a breeder of shorthorns, and only kept dairy cows". The foundation of his pedigree herd was a yellow-red and white bull, originally bought on the advice of his brother Charles for eight guineas, and afterwards sold to his brother for the Ketton herd (known in shorthorn history as 'Hubback'). A "shyness" sprang up between the brothers, which became accentuated in March 1793; and the Barmpton and Ketton herds for some time lived apart, though later more amicable relations were restored. When, in October 1810, Charles Colling sold off his Ketton herd of shorthorns, Robert's herd at Barmpton 'became the centre of interest' to the breeders of shorthorns, which had then become fashionable. A famous white heifer (daughter of the bull Favourite), which weighed at the age of four, was painted by Thomas Weaver, and an engraving of the picture was made by William Ward, and published on 13 December 1811, with a dedication to Robert Colling. The heifer was purchased by two butchers, and exhibited at Christmas 1811 at the stables of the Three Kings, Piccadilly, as "the greatest wonder of the world of the kind", and then weighed . "The same system of

inbreeding Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

that had been in vogue at Ketton was pursued without interruption at Barmpton, and that without any admixture of fresh alloy". Robert carried on his herd until Michaelmas day, 1810, when it was sold by auction, and sixty-one lots fetched £7,852 19''s''. He died unmarried at Barmpton on 7 March 1820, leaving his property to his brother Charles, a final sale being held on 3 October 1820.

References

;Attribution
THE DURHAM OX (Robert & Charles Colling)
* 1749 births 1820 deaths 18th-century English farmers 19th-century English farmers {{Improve categories, date=July 2023