The New Dishley Society

Robert Bakewell: Britain's Foremost Livestock Breeder The New Dishley Society

This book marks the birth 300 years ago on 23rd May 1725 of Robert Bakewell, the agricultural innovator, famous for rearing Longhorn Cattle, New Leicester Sheep and improving working horses. Probably the most famous son of Loughborough, he initiated the Dishley Society, named after Dishley Grange, where he farmed, to control the hiring out of the best rams that he and his friends had raised. The book Robert Bakewell and the Longhorn Breed of Cattle was published in 1995, and the New Dishley Society was established around that time, to coincide with the 250th anniversary of his death.

The New Dishley Society has, since then, been researching Bakewell's legacy and promoting his name, and this book presents the results of their activities. The new material provides an extensive genealogy, covering his breeding methods and innovative farming practices, whilst he worked against the prejudices of his largely backward-looking farming neighbours. It explains the survival of his breeding business during his bankruptcy through support from his family, like-minded agricultural innovators and friends and his Unitarian network.

The book describes his extensive export activities and his correspondence with George Washington, who sought his advice on improving his farming estate at Mount Vernon. Robert Bakewell's story is set within the social and economic framework of the times, fully referenced, the text aims to provide a detailed explanation of his importance and legacy.