The
Essex Pig Society Established
in 1997
Advisers - Breeders -
Experts - Farmers - Judges - Rare Breed Meat Producers
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The Home Page of the Essex Pig Society
Our MissionTo continue the Essex Pig Society's original work by giving information on the bloodlines and the breeders who have worked hard to maintain the Essex Pig's existence. To keep interest in The Essex Pig and promote the Essex pig. The Members or this Society are hardworking individuals who have become well known and trusted people who have within their hearts a love of the Essex Pig and work hard to keep the breed and promote the benefits of keeping the breed.
The Essex Pig History of Bloodlines and BreedersFoundation of the Essex Pig Society (1997) was re-formed in the year 1997 - the importance of this date is that it was Thirty years to the day when the Essex Pig was amalgamated with the Wessex Saddleback to form the British Saddleback. Mr. Vaughan Byrne and the late Mr. Ian Whitney reformed the Society to preserve the existing Essex bloodlines within the British Saddleback breed. Despite claims by others only one herd of pure foundation stock Essex pigs existed in 1997. This was the Glascote Herd owned by Mr. John Croshaw. Although classed as British Saddlebacks the Glascote Herd were infact pure Essex pigs. Founded in 1953 on three female bloodlines Lullington Lady 45th, Blakenhall Grand Duchess 4th, and Merevale Gamma 4th, Gamma 5th. One male line was used, the Dictator line. In 1969 a pure Essex Boar Brightwell Dictator 139 was introduced to the Glascote Herd. The Rajah Boar line was created circa 1944 by J. H. Dorrington & Son of Dunsby, Bourne, Lincolnshire from a Sultan Boar and Tydd Amy The Dictator Boar line is one of the oldest lines within the breed tracing its ancestry back to the original foundation of the Essex Pig Society (1920). An intricate cyclical system of breeding was used in the Glascote herd i.e. the females carried the Pedigree, anyone wishing for more information on this can request details from the Society. On the inception of the Society Mr. John Croshaw was made President. Studies of the bloodlines within the British Saddleback breed indicated that there were eleven female lines and three boar lines which traced their ancestry back to the old Essex Herd Books. These lines are as follows:- Alvis, Duchess, Grand Duchess, Hilda, Ivy, Lady, Gamma, Female, Molly, Fidra, Joyful, Biddy, the boar lines were Rajah, Grand Duke, Dictator. Most of these lines contained some Wessex Saddleback blood, bar the initial three female lines and the Dictator line. The Alvis line was kept alive by P.T. Wade, of Patrington near Hull. The Biddy line was kept in the Newplace Herd, but the Prison Service have retained the Biddy's also. The Duchess line was retained in the Brightwell Herd of the late Mr. J.W.F. Caustan, C.B.E., Brightwell House, Brightwell, Ipswich. The Ivy line was also in the Brightwell Herd. The Female line was kept by R H & R Paul of Woodbridge, Suffolk, the Broxtead Herd of Essex Pigs was a performance tested herd. The Fidra line was created in 1952 by Mr. W. Thomson of Glenarroll, Longniddry, East Lothian, Scotland from a Bridgman's Grand Duchess 52nd. The Gamma line was the featured bloodline of the Booth Herd of Sir W.F. Foden (Foden Trucks), Radford Semele, Near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The Grand Duchess line was developed by Mr. A.J. Cousins of Cressing Lodge, Braintree, Essex, together with the Grand Duke boar line. The Hilda line and the Molly's and the Joyful's were kept in the Hormead Herd of Mr. H. Luckock and Partner at Hormead Hall, Herefordshire. Joyful's were also kept by Mr. G.E. Gittus, of Windsor Wood Farmhouse, Fentons Barrow, Suffolk.
Life Members of The Essex Pig Society
Mr. John Croshaw, PRESIDENT, Members - (Alphabetically) Mr. Stephen Booth, Lancashire Mr. Vaughan Byrne, Co. Down, Northern Ireland Mr. Joseph & Mrs. Julie Delaney, Roscommon, Eire Mr. Jimmy Doherty, Suffolk Mr. Stefan Smyth, Co. Down, Northern Ireland Mr. John Stronge Mr. Martin Twyman, Canterbury, Kent General Members
Contact InformationMr. Vaughan Byrne
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