Robert Colling
Encyclopedia
Robert Colling and his brother Charles (1751 – January 16, 1836), English
stock breeders, famous for their improvement of the Shorthorn
breed of cattle
, were the sons of Charles Colling, a farmer of Ketton
near Darlington
. Their lives are closely connected with the history of the Shorthorn breed. Of the two brothers, Charles is probably the better known, and it was his visit to the farm of Robert Bakewell
at Dishley that first led the brothers to realize the possibilities of scientific selective breeding
of cattle. Charles succeeded to his father's farm at Ketton. Robert, after being first apprenticed to a grocer in Shields
, took a farm at Barmpton
. An animal which he bought at Charles's advice for and afterwards sold to his brother, became known as the celebrated Hubback, a bull which formed the basis of both the Ketton and Barmpton herds.
The two brothers pursued the same system of inbreeding
which they had learned from Robert Bakewell, and both the Ketton and the Barmpton herds were sold by auction in the autumn of 1810. Robert Colling died unmarried at Barmpton on the 7th of March 1820, leaving his property to his brother. Charles Colling, who is remembered as the owner of the famous bulls Hubback, Favorite and Comet, and the breeder of the celebrated Durham Ox
, was more of a specialist and a businessman than his brother. He died on the 16th of January 1836.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
stock breeders, famous for their improvement of the Shorthorn
Shorthorn
The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late 18th century. The breed was developed as dual purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however there were always certain blood lines within the breed which emphasised one quality or the other...
breed of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, were the sons of Charles Colling, a farmer of Ketton
Brafferton, County Durham
Brafferton is a village in the borough of Darlington and the traditional and ceremonial counties of Durham in England. It is situated between Darlington and Newton Aycliffe, a short distance from Coatham Mundeville....
near Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
. Their lives are closely connected with the history of the Shorthorn breed. Of the two brothers, Charles is probably the better known, and it was his visit to the farm of Robert Bakewell
Robert Bakewell (farmer)
Robert Bakewell was a British agriculturalist, now recognized as one of the most important figures in the British Agricultural Revolution. In addition to work in agronomy, Bakewell is particularly notable as the first to implement systematic selective breeding of livestock...
at Dishley that first led the brothers to realize the possibilities of scientific selective breeding
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
of cattle. Charles succeeded to his father's farm at Ketton. Robert, after being first apprenticed to a grocer in Shields
Shields, England
Shields, England may refer to two cities in Tyne and Wear:* North Shields* South Shields...
, took a farm at Barmpton
Barmpton
Barmpton is a small village in the borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county ofCounty Durham, England. It is situated a short distance to the north-east of Darlington, on the River Skerne, a tributary of the Tees....
. An animal which he bought at Charles's advice for and afterwards sold to his brother, became known as the celebrated Hubback, a bull which formed the basis of both the Ketton and Barmpton herds.
The two brothers pursued the same system of inbreeding
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
which they had learned from Robert Bakewell, and both the Ketton and the Barmpton herds were sold by auction in the autumn of 1810. Robert Colling died unmarried at Barmpton on the 7th of March 1820, leaving his property to his brother. Charles Colling, who is remembered as the owner of the famous bulls Hubback, Favorite and Comet, and the breeder of the celebrated Durham Ox
Durham Ox
The Durham Ox was a castrated bull which became famous in the early 19th century for its shape, size and weight. It was an early example of what became the Shorthorn breed of cattle, and helped establish the standards by which the breed was to be defined....
, was more of a specialist and a businessman than his brother. He died on the 16th of January 1836.