John Ellman
Encyclopedia
John Ellman was an English
farmer
and stock breeder
who developed the Southdown
breed of sheep
.
Ellman was born in Hartfield
, Sussex
, but moved with his family to Place Farm in Glynde
in 1761. He inherited the tenancy to the farm with his father's death in 1780, and devoted the largest part of his time and land to rearing the local Southdown breed, changing it from a tall, lean sheep into a more squat and compact one which gave excellent mutton yield while retaining a good fleece
. His work would eventually be continued by Jonas Webb
of Cambridgeshire
to produce the modern form of the breed.
He was well regarded by his contemporaries, and won prizes with ease at local and national livestock shows. He was well connected, with several peers
regularly corresponding with him for the advice on farming which he would give freely, was introduced to George III, and sold two of his rams to Emperor Paul I of Russia
for 300 guineas
.
John Ellman wrote broadly on agricultural subjects, contributing to works such as Arthur Young's Annals of Agriculture and Baxter's Library of Agricultural and Horticultural Knowledge. He was a founder member of the Sussex Agricultural Society and Smithfield Society.
He took great interest in local affairs as a commissioner of taxes and expenditor of Lewes and Laughton levels, and played a role in the improvement of navigation on the River Ouse
and in the redevelopment of Newhaven Harbour
. He was also a progressive employer who maintained a school for workers' children in Glynde.
Ellman retired in 1829 and his flock was broken up at auction. He died three years later in Lewes
. His tomb is in Glynde churchyard.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and stock breeder
Breeder
A breeder is a person who practices the vocation of mating carefully selected specimens of the same breed to reproduce specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics....
who developed the Southdown
Southdown (sheep)
The Southdown is a small, dual purpose British sheep but is raised primarily for meat. The Southdown breed was originally bred by John Ellman of Glynde, near Lewes, East Sussex about 200 years ago. His work was continued by Jonas Webb of Babraham in Cambridgeshire who developed the larger animal...
breed of sheep
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
.
Ellman was born in Hartfield
Hartfield
Hartfield is a civil parish in East Sussex, England. Settlements within the parish include the village of Hartfield, Colemans Hatch, Hammerwood and Holtye, all lying on the northern edge of Ashdown Forest.-Geography:...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, but moved with his family to Place Farm in Glynde
Glynde
Glynde is a village in the Lewes District of East Sussex, United Kingdom. It is located two miles east of Lewes.-Estate:The estate at Glynde has belonged to four interlinked families: the Waleys , Morleys, Trevors, and Brands...
in 1761. He inherited the tenancy to the farm with his father's death in 1780, and devoted the largest part of his time and land to rearing the local Southdown breed, changing it from a tall, lean sheep into a more squat and compact one which gave excellent mutton yield while retaining a good fleece
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
. His work would eventually be continued by Jonas Webb
Jonas Webb
Jonas Webb was an English farmer and stock breeder who was responsible for developing the Southdown breed of sheep into its modern form....
of Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
to produce the modern form of the breed.
He was well regarded by his contemporaries, and won prizes with ease at local and national livestock shows. He was well connected, with several peers
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
regularly corresponding with him for the advice on farming which he would give freely, was introduced to George III, and sold two of his rams to Emperor Paul I of Russia
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
for 300 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
.
John Ellman wrote broadly on agricultural subjects, contributing to works such as Arthur Young's Annals of Agriculture and Baxter's Library of Agricultural and Horticultural Knowledge. He was a founder member of the Sussex Agricultural Society and Smithfield Society.
He took great interest in local affairs as a commissioner of taxes and expenditor of Lewes and Laughton levels, and played a role in the improvement of navigation on the River Ouse
River Ouse, Sussex
The River Ouse is a river in the counties of West and East Sussex in England.-Course:The river rises near Lower Beeding and runs eastwards into East Sussex, meandering narrowly and turning slowly southward...
and in the redevelopment of Newhaven Harbour
Newhaven, East Sussex
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
. He was also a progressive employer who maintained a school for workers' children in Glynde.
Ellman retired in 1829 and his flock was broken up at auction. He died three years later in Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
. His tomb is in Glynde churchyard.