My family history research comes and goes, depending upon among other things, time and the resources available. I subscribe to a couple of Genealogy sites and periodically get email updates about new sets of records that are available. The latest email mentioned newspaper reports, so I had a quick look and put in the name of Henry's Great Grandfather (also Henry Robinson), a date range and Cumbria.
Success! I instantly found a report of Grayrigg & Selside Show in the Westmorland Gazette of September 13th 1890. No banner headlines of photos of cute girls with cuter pets, but a full column (Broadsheet size of course) of comprehensive results, plus another full column on the dinner and speeches in the evening. Amongst the list of prize winners there was Henry Robinson of Strickley in the horse, turnips and swede turnip classes. And a Highly Commended for "the greatest improvement on farm in the last four years".
In an edition from April of the same year I found a report of cattle sold at Kendal Auction Mart, including
I'm sorry the quality of the reproduction is not so good - I looked at a scan online of the original, downloaded it as a pdf, then copied and saved the relevant bit as a jpg.
But the Strickley Robinson's were not the only ancestors showing and winning with Shorthorns. A quick search for someone on my side of the family, found my Great Great Great Grandfather Jacob Blamire taking a second place for Short Horned Cattle in 1850, as reported in The Kendal Mercury and Northern Advertiser. According to the 1851 census he was a "Farmer of 90 acres" at High House, Burrow with Burrow. Once again the report covered several newspaper columns.
The Blamire family later moved to Matterdale and another quick search found my Great Great Grandfather (another Jacob Blamire). I've copied in the whole report - as it's something that doesn't happen now - but skim to the highlighted bit at the bottom for the family connection.
I'm sure I'll have more stories to unearth!
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