The Cumberland was a breed of

domestic pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

that originated in the North of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

; it was used to produce local delicacies like the

Cumberland sausage Cumberland sausage is a pork sausage that originated in the ancient county of Cumberland, England, now part of Cumbria. It is traditionally very long, up to , and sold rolled in a flat, circular coil, but within western Cumbria, it is more often s ...

and Cumberland

ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term "ham ...

. The breed became extinct in 1960, after changes in farming methods and a demand for less fatty meat led to it falling out of favour.

History and characteristics

The Cumberland was a very old breed that likely developed over several hundred years in Cumberland and

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...

, and was closely related to the Old Yorkshire white pig. It was a heavy-set white animal with pendulous ears, and had a tough constitution enabling it to withstand the poor weather of Northern England. The breed grew quickly to above-average size, with a high fat content. During the 19th century, many efforts were made to 'improve' pig breeds, and the Cumberland was often crossed with the Yorkshire white breeds. These eventually developed into the Large White, Small White, and

Middle White The Middle White is a British breed of domestic pig. It originated in Yorkshire, and derived from the Large White and the now-extinct Small White. It was recognised in 1852, and the first herd-book was published in 1884. It is a porker, rear ...

. The Cumberland Pig Breeders' Association was created in 1916, and the breed reached a height of popularity during the 1920s. The Cumberland began to fall out of favour in the mid-20th century due to a demand for leaner meat. In 1955, the Advisory Committee on the Development of Pig Production in the United Kingdom, chaired by Sir

Harold Howitt Sir Harold Gibson Howitt, (5 October 1886 – 30 November 1969) was an English accountant who had a distinguished military career during the First World War and who undertook a long series of important public service commissions. Notable among ...

,''Development of pig production in the United Kingdom: report of the Advisory Committee on Development of Pig Production in the United Kingdom'', HMSO, 1955 issued a report that pig farmers in the UK, to ensure standardisation, should concentrate on three breeds: the Large White, Welsh, and

Landrace A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolatio ...

. By this time, the Cumberland stock was already dwindling; only three boars were licensed by 1954. The Cumberland pig is considered to have become extinct in 1960 after the last individual, a sow belonging to a Mr. Thirwall, died on Bothel Craggs farm in Bothel.

Re-creation

In 2008, a Penrith animal conservation centre "recreated" the Cumberland pig based on DNA analysis and selective breeding; farmers who had worked with the last surviving originals agreed that the new pig was a good match in appearance. It is hoped that the new pigs resulting from the programme will in future be a source of authentic Cumberland hams and sausages: however, whilst the

Rare Breeds Survival Trust The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation charity whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the native farm animal genetic resources (FAnGR) of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1973 by Joe Henson to pres ...

commented that they appreciated the project, they stated they would not recognise the breed as a true Cumberland pig. In 2008, after years of selective breeding, a sow was born with a 99.6% DNA match for the Cumberland. However, it proved infertile."Cumberland pig bred to restart extinct breed is infertile"
''Cumberland News'', 19 March 2010. The original Cumberland pig's genetic heritage is also present in the

and possibly in the

Chester White The Chester White is a breed of domestic pig which originated in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was formerly known as the Chester County White. History The Chester White was first developed around 1815–1818, using strains of large, white pi ...

breed of the United States.

References

External links

Livestock Farming on the Solway Plain - downloadable image of the Cumberland PigBorder Film Archive, video of last Cumberland Pig
{{British livestock, R.2 Cumberland Extinct British pig breeds Pig breeds Pig breeds originating in England Pig landraces

History and characteristics

Re-creation

See also

References

External links