Description:Extensive owners of agricultural land, the Sutherland family purchased many farm animals including a prize bull called Strawberry, purchased in 1824.
William Lewis, the family’s Trentham Agent at this time, kept a printed notice detailing the pedigree of Strawberry who had been purchased from Mr. Groucock of Sandiford, near Stone. The notice describes Strawberry as a ‘beautiful well bred Durham Bull’ and proudly states that he was ‘a Descendant of the celebrated Bull COMET’ who the owner had sold for 1000 guineas!
Mr. Groucock had purchased Strawberry for just ‘twenty guineas’ when he was ‘only a calf’ from Mr. Edge of Quorndon, near Derby. Mr. Quorndon’s ‘superior Stock’ was ‘well known’ in Derby, and his reputation appears to have influenced the Leveson-Gower family in their purchase of Strawberry.