Maisemore

J. J. Cridlan founded his internationally famous 'Maisemore' herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle at Maisemore Park, Gloucestershire, England, in 1898. What he achieved was truly amazing; Maisemore won more awards than any other herd of any breed in the country. This book is a history of the herd and its successes. J. J. Cridlan's famous Maisemore herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle, 'The Doddies', at Maisemore Park, Gloucestershire, England, was a success story of immense proportions. When he founded his herd in 1898, little could he have thought that such fame would come to his exhibits and that the Park would later become known as the Doddies' paradise. The herd won more Championships and King's Challenge Cups at Smithfield, Britain's premier fatstock show, than anyone else. The nearest anyone came to beating his ten championships was Queen Victoria with five wins. Maisemore cattle was exported all over the world, worth tens of thousands of pounds. In 1919, the largest contingent of the breed that ever left the shores of Great Britain from a single herd, left Maisemore for the U.S.A. Today, even after all these years, J. J.
Cridlan's name is still mentioned whenever the Aberdeen Angus breed is the topic of conversation and the Prefix 'Maisemore' will forever live in the history of the breed. My interest in the herd stems from the fact that my father, Alfred Cole, was his head herdsman. He joined J. J. Cridlan from Maisemore School in 1914, at the age of fourteen. J. J. Cridlan was so impressed with my father's ability and natural affinity with the livestock, that he made him his head herdsman in 1919, at eighteen years of age; a huge responsibility. It was a position he held at the Park until 1958. The number of Champions he turned out in that time was remarkable. When I was young, I would help my father wash and prepare the cattle for the shows and go with him whenever I could get time off school.I have wonderful memories of those days and my affection for the Aberdeen Angus breed has remained with me ever since. It is written by Ken Cole and published by Nicholas Reardon of Reardon Publishing.