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Exmoor
THE QUARTLEYS AND LIVESTOCK BREEDING
One of the most striking examples of selective breeding in England occurred at Great
Champson farm in Molland, where the Quartley family who leased the farm, ‘revolutionized
cattle-breeding in west of England’. Francis Quartley of Molland determined to improve the
herd of Devon cattle, which his father had bred at Champson since 1776. Francis bought up
all the good animals and in the 1830s the Quartleys won prizes for their Devon cattle at the
new Exeter cattle shows. The profile of Devon cattle was raised and several farmers in
Molland and Twitchen bred quality herds. Such was the enthusiasm for the improved breed
that there were nearly half a million Devon cattle by the late 19th century, more than any other
breed apart from the shorthorn and there was a Devon Cattle Breeders Society. In 1841 James
Quartley had two young men of independent means living with him and his servants, no doubt
learning about his farming methods. Many farmers in the area took an interest in cattle
breeding as they obtained much of their income from selling stock at two to four years old to
lowland graziers.
There were also experiments in the cross-breeding of the traditional Exmoor horn with
imported Downs, Leicesters, and even Merino at Molland. At East Anstey in 1842 the horned
sheep produced 5—7 lb. of wool each but the ‘knot’ or hornless breeds produced 6 ½ or 7 lb.1
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1
TNA, IR 18/1186, 8551; Hoskins, W, Devon, 91; Acland, T D and Sturge, W, The Farming of
Somersetshire (1851), 20—1; inf. from website of Devon Cattle Breeders Society of Australia.
Mary Suirat
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Exmoor Reference