[Jacob-list] Scone Palace/Abercairny

[Jacobflock at aol.com]

Fred Horak here.

Katrina asked about Jacob cross-breeding in England, perhaps then and now, 
and I thought some might be interested in the start of the Scone Palace sheep 
where Todd Hescock found his "starter" flock.  

Some background.  From the Park Sheep Society's founding papers, 1913... Park 
Sheep being a general type of relatively unmanaged ornamental sheep "ability 
to live like deer, on grass alone..", one of the seven breeds of Park Sheep 
being what we call the Jacob today (then called "Spanish sheep, the rams 
often with with four horns")  

There is some documentation for the Park Sheep.  Scone Palace Jacobs were 
probably not the Park Sheep of the 1913 type classed as Park Sheep as there 
is no reference to any flock at Scone Palace in 1913.

Some ancient history background.  Col. Holme Drummond Moray, Abercairny, 
Perthshire apparently had a flock of Spanish four horns (1817) but where they 
cam from was not known.  Drummond Moray claims that he sent "Jacobs" to Scone 
Palace (1940')to settle a bet.  

But the history out of Scone Palace from Lady Mansfield's letter (1988) 
recalls events in the 1930-40s as the Jacobs not coming directly from 
Drummond Moray. The story is that the Earl of Mansfield (Scone Palace, say 
1940) was hunting with Drummond Moray and told Drummond Moray he would like 
some of the spotted sheep around the Palace.  Drummond Moray said that he 
would have to get them directly from him becasue he had the only nearby (?) 
flock.  The Earl of Mansfield bet Drummond Moray 5 puonds that he could get 
them from someone else. 

The Earl of Mansfield was also a bigwig at the Zoo and knew that they were 
keeping several Jacobs at the Zoo.  He also knew the Zoo wanted a Highland 
bull which he apparently had.  So he swapped his Highland bull for a ram and 
four ewes.  Thus the start of a Jacob flock at Scone Palace.  I am not aware 
of any record of Jacobs at Scone Palace before 1940 say.

Back to Drummond Moray...In 1913, when the Park Sheep society was being 
formed , Heatly Noble visited Abercairny (this is one of the six oldest 
"Jacob flocks in England) and was informed that some of these had been 
crossed with other breeds...breeds unknown...In 1932 Abercairny exchanged 
rams with Tabley House, Cheshire, ... and it is at Tabley that the Armada 
story for the source of Jacobs began.  There is a letter from 1730 that cites 
exchanging Jacob rams with Abercairny, in 1910 Tabley exchanged rams with 
Chatsworth Hall and Chatsworth Hall is an early two horn flock (1819 record).

Without regard to specific date, there are notes as to "hairy, kempy, rug 
wool, very scratchy skirts...in letters from 1800s to 1910s.

An aside...at Dungavel, Lanarkshire, Scotland; Duke of Hamilton possessed a 
flock in Scotland.  A most important characteristic is that the horns, 
whether two or four, are invaiably black.  Fleece and tail are long; and 
while the middle of the face is white, the rest of the head and body is 
piebald.  "WHOLLY BLACK SPECIMINS ARE BY NO MEANS UNCOMMON"; thus crossed.  
Leydekker's Guide to Domesticated Animals.

The history is replete with examples of crossing prior to and coincident with 
the Park Sheep Society.  There is a gap in the historical record from say 
1940 to 1969, the advent of the JSS.  It is in 1974, the JSS reports to the 
RBST that "there were 342 breeders and 5,000 registered Jacobs; two distinct 
types designated "Park" and "Improved"...the later developed as commercial 
sheep by progressive breeders...the difference is shown...mature ewe Park 94 
lbs....Improved 133lbs; lambing percent born...Park is 189%  Improved 
207%...There is considerable difference...."

There are other articles and reports from time to time in the JSS Journal 
regarding crossing...direct crosses are not registered (eg., JacobxTexel for 
meat)...but Jacob breeders have some foreign genes in the pool.  It is 
difficult to identify a sheep or flock; some of it is removed by 10-15 
generations.  It begins with the origin of the "breed" 1800s and continues 
even after the Park Sheep Society in 1900 to the historical vacuum in the 
1940s War years.  This is the historical record we inherit as Jacob breeders; 
we know the history and can learn from it.

There is a photo at Scotland Lodge 1964 of a flock of Jacobs...and leading 
the group is an apparent hornless ewe, very white, very "fluffy" or very 
"fat".   There is a beautiful photo series "Sheep in Park" by Elwes in 1934 
from England...color, color, color, horns in many directions, and they look 
scruffy.  Vive le defference.  

Fred Horak