Artist: Robert Wadsworth Grafton (1876–1936); original portrait by James R. Stuart
Thomas Booth
BOOTH, THOMAS (circa 1755–1835), inducted 1903
One of the foundation breeders painted by Stuart when the collection was established, Thomas Booth began breeding Shorthorns on his Killerby estate near Catterick, Yorkshire, in 1790. He selected bulls from the Colling brothers, to breed with cows from other breeders. Booth was the first breeder to stress beef almost to the exclusion of milk, and he sought to reduce the bone while concentrating on meat and fleshing qualities. Once he had beefy animals with strong constitutions, he then fixed their traits through line breeding. In 1819, Booth left Killerby in the hands of his eldest son, John, and took part of the herd to establish a new farm at Warlaby. After Thomas Booth’s death in 1835, John and his brother Richard continued to improve the breed.
Source: Saddle & Sirloin Guidebook 2026, p. 51