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Roger Marshall burial record |
Roger Marshall of Blindburn (born in 1740) was a sheep farmer. He was a much respected expert in managing sheep, considered to be at the very top of his profession, and he was instrumental in perfecting the Cheviot black face sheep to prosper in the wild and rugged landscape of north Northumberland and produce high quality wool. He co-authored a book on the subject of sheep farming for national distribution. Though John Naismyth is the author credited it was Roger Marshall who provided the content and is credited in the book. The book was commissioned from Baronet Sir John Sinclair, chairman of the Society for the Improvement of British Wool, and was titled "Observations on the different breeds of sheep and the state of sheep farming in some of the principal counties in England". It was published in 1792 and is still available today! Roger Marshall became ill during the survey in Scotland and returned home to Blindburn and his son William Marshall (1770 - 1840, also buried in the enclosure) carried on the survey to completion. Roger passed away in 1804 aged 64 but no doubt the sheep you see around Redesdale and the Cheviots today still carry today in their DNA the excellence of Roger Marshall.
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Still on Amazon! |