Problems with Mr Beecroft's cows in 1861

Being a Port on the Eastern Coast of England, Kingston Upon Hull has for centuries been a Gateway with Europe. 

One of the major trading movements was that of the import of livestock. 

In the mid 1800's the annual volume was around 20000 head of cattle and 30000 of sheep being brought across either in the ill ventilated holds of fleets of Steamers or crowded in what was described by the Cattle Inspectors as well as the Hull Board of Health as objectionable conditions. 

Great plaques had decimated the farm animals through many European Countries and there was a very real concern that the huge amount of beasts arriving on a daily basis could bring the epidemic to these shores. 

It was only a matter of time for symptoms to show in the local dairy herds and sheep population although for a good period of this market trade the infection did not appear. Measures were in place for the seizure and destruction of any diseased cattle arriving in the Port. 

The shipping companies responsible for the passage of the animals came under a lot of criticism for their lack of humane treatment which often meant that there was no provision of fodder or water for the duration of the voyage and there was only the bare boards of the deck to offer any respite from having to be stood all of the time. 

Mucking out and swilling clear was therefore likely to be minimal if carried out at all. 

The circumstances for the introduction of the cattle plaque were therefore very present thanks to the combination of greed, ignorance and negligence of those engaged in the sorry trade. 

The Times Newspaper, not surprisingly therefore reported in 1861 that the epidemic had at length reached Hull to "commit fearful ravages". 

The article recounted that in the space of a week from the time that the first animal was attacked some 30 to 40 other cases had been reported amongst the dairy farms in and around Hull. 

It is hard now to imagine in the current urban sprawl that there will have been farms, milking parlours and dairy operations in what is now seen as the inner-city as proximity to the populus for swift delivery of dairy produce was essential given the lack of large scale chilling and refrigeration equipment. 

There was speculation about the origins of the plaque. 

The foreign cattle imports were prime suspects but the Inspectors in the holding areas in the Port had not found any symptoms in the arrivals. 

A Mr Beecroft who had 32 cows for milk production began to notice the failing of ten of his herd. Veterinary assistance was called and although 5 cows recovered there were fatalities. Beecroft put out an appeal to local Butchers and sold the carcasses at a low price in an attempt to recoup some of his losses. 

Another keeper of cows, a Mr Briggs reported that four of his animals were attacked by the disease and all died within a short period in spite of the administering of remedial measures. 

A Mr Foreman who The Times referred to as a poor man in that he only had three cows lost them after only three days. 

One owner by the name of Bristow lost two cows within a couple of hours. 

Mortality rates were high and relentless with losses being indiscriminate. 

This caused a great deal of consternation in the farming community and a panic selling began to take place to what must have seemed like a morbid congregation of those in the meat trade. 

The carcasses of the animals that died in the Borough of Hull were taken to a yard to be boiled down for the manufacture of the bi-products of  glue and artificial manure.