Monday, August 15, 2016

Monday Miscellany

Jacob Sheep on the Trentham Estate


It was lovely to see them as we walked up the hill towards the Monument.  Apparently there are 31 sheep in this flock and they were obviously spread out across the moorland, grass and ferny areas of the walk.  We saw a little group of no more than a dozen.

Here are some facts about Jacob Sheep

1.  They are believed to be the oldest breed in the world and were first mentioned in the Old Testament Book of Genesis.

2.  They were named after Jacob who worked for fourteen years for his father-in-law Laban without pay for the love of his wife Rachel.  He asked to be allowed to keep his share of the sheep - all the speckled and spotted ones.

3.  The sheep were taken to the Iberian Peninsula from North Africa in the 8th century.

4. Until recently the Jacobs were also called 'Spanish Sheep' as it was originally thought that the first sheep to come to Britain swam ashore from a sinking Spanish Galleon during the Armada of 1588.

5.  During the 18th century they were also known as 'The Gentleman's Sheep' as they were used as decoration in the grounds of many stately homes and grand estates. 

You can find out more from the Jacob Sheep Society

38 comments:

  1. Aren't they lovely. My wedding going away outfit (many years ago!) was made from Jacob wool.

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    1. They are, how wonderful to have worn something made from the Jacob wool:)

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  2. Are they the ones that they 'pluck' rather than shearing? Lovely animals.

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    1. I've been looking at the wesite and it does appear that they are sheared of their fleece:)

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  3. The sheep are adorable, Rosie, but what I really like is the green green grass. Here it is brown and wilted and very hot.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Oh, I bet it was lovely to see the green grass, some of the leaves on the shrubs in our garden are turning a bit brown at the tips now after lack of rain:)

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  4. How interesting, I don't think I've ever seen spotted sheep before.

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  5. Such an interesting post - the sheep are so attractive no wonder they were used as decoration in country estates.

    re: comments in last post - cherries also expensive in farm shop :( I did spot some Greengage Jam there though but resisted temptation to buy. Interesting your comment about damson jam - the same thing happened to me when I made it years ago!!

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    1. I can quite see many owners of country estates having animals for their decorative appearane rather than any productive use they may have had.

      re the jam - I expect Damsons have a high pectin content, I always struggle with Strwberry jam as it is low in pectin, it ends up being more like a juicy sauce - nice on ice cream:)

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  6. They certainly have a great look about them, beautiful photos.

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    1. Thank you they are lovely aren't they?:)

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  7. They are truly beautiful. A blogger who lives south of the border, in the state of Washington, also has Jacob Sheep and makes beautiful, felted object from their wool.

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    1. I bet the things the owner of the Jacobs makes are wonderful:)

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  8. I LOVE these sheep facts! They are so coool, interesting AND historical!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the sheep facts, Kezzie:)

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  9. What a lovely post! Delightful pics and fascinating facts. I do love a post about sheep. Thanks, Rosie. x

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the post Mts Tiggywinkle:)

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  10. Aren't they just gorgeous with all those spots on! Fabulous! :-)

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    1. They are an attractive breed of sheep aren't they?)

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  11. We've just been to England and Scotland. One of my favourite scenes were the sheep in hilly, ferny, green, green fields.

    Thanks so much for sharing these Jacob photos and the info. Delightful tidbits of knowledge.

    Wishing you a beautiful day.
    Brenda
    xox

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the post and I hope you had a wonderful visit over here:)

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  12. Love these sheep but may I suggest they are a flock (sheep),not a herd (cattle).

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    1. Of course they are! Thanks for pointing that out, I'll change it immediately:)

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  13. It has always seemed rather unlikely that one would put to war with ships loaded with sheep! Whatever their origin I'm glad they arrived here, as they're fine looking little animals.

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    1. It does seem odd to set off to war with animals dosen't it? I have heard of it before but usually cattle for milk and food:)

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  14. Who knew that sheep would have a society?!!! They have such unusual markings on their fleeces. I would have enjoyed seeing them too! x

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    1. There are lots of clubs and societies for people who breed rare breed animals, it does make them seem rather special doesn't it?:)

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  15. I love sheep and herdwicks and Jacobs are my favourites! xxx

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    1. Herwicks are pretty aren't they, I'm also fond of rare breeds of sheep the Lincolnshire Longwool is another favourite:)

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  16. What beauties they are. Love the name gentlemen's sheep. You can just imagine them playing at being farmers in their palatial estates. An intriguing post with so much history. B x

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    1. The image does fit in the the times of enclosure and Capability Brown doesn't it?:)

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  17. I have never heard of Jacob sheep. Fascinating post!

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  18. What a lovely scene, Rosie! Those Jacob sheep have lots of tasty, lush grass to graze on and they look well on it. They're also very decorative. Some interesting facts about them too. Thank you.

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    1. They do look very healthy and well fed don't they? It was lovely to see them:)

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