Notes for: Lewin Charles Cholmley Ralston Norris
Grantham Journal 7 Dec 1878:
DARK BRAHMAS. - Mr. NORRIS can spare COCKS, HENS, COCKERELS, and PULLETS of his best blood; prices from 1 to 30 guineas each. Mr. Norris, during the last 18 months, has won prizes and commendations in the open classes at the best shows . . .
Address, TRUMPINGTON, Cambridge.
From the Grantham Journal, 27 Aug 1881. The Journal of Horticulture, in an interesting notice of the poultry-yard of L. C. C. R. Norris, Esq., at Trumpington, says:-- We had before seen and admired Mr Norris's yards, but it was each time under the chilling influence of a wintry wind. We have now been more fortunate, and on a sunny August afternoon have seen the same yards, teeming with a multitude of growing and promising chickens, all, save one or two, hatched since we saw their homes in the beginning of February. . . . To one who, like Mr Norris, keeps them as a relaxation from intellectual labour, nothing can be more charming than to have a couple of breeds brought to the highest perfection, and all close at hand, where they can be seen in a few minutes. We will describe the Trumpington yards in the order we saw them on our last visit. The breeding yards came first, now all tenanted by chickens. These are away from the house, in a paddock bought for the special benefit of the poultry. An acre or more of grass land, with here and there a fine tree, is divided into about a dozen runs; in each is a well-roofed house and attached to it a dry shed - the picture of neatness and cleanliness, with a nice flooring of grit. Every run was full of young stock. almost fuller than we should care to keep our own at this season; but the grass is constantly swept, and so they are kept sweet. In the first we found a score or more of dark Brahma cockerels of pullet-breeding strains; certainly their female relations are more beautiful than themselves. Then came yard after yard of dark and light cockerels mixed, of various ages and sizes. The latter breed has only of late been added to the Trumpington yards, and we shall expect to see Mr Norris continue to hold the place which he has already taken in the first rank of its exhibitors from his experience in breeding darks. . . . We must not omit to mention that all this wealth of chickens, in a somewhat exposed position, is guarded by the finest of Mr Norris's St Bernard dogs (for in these he excels as much as in poultry) - a noble fellow indeed. From this collection of runs we retraced our steps to the pretty shady lawn of the house, and inspected the few of the adult birds which are still at Trumpington . . . Last, but not least, we saw the kennel. All St Bernard's of the highest pedigree, reaching back to the dogs of the Hospice, but far finer than anything we have ever seen there. Doubtless this climate suits their development, for one of the Trumpington favourites, which we specially admired on a former visit, was no longer there, having been purchased for a Swiss kennel.
And from the Grantham Journal, 31 May 1884: Mr L. C. R. Norris - now Mr Norris-Elye (a gentleman well known to many of our readers), has recently moved from Trumpington to Orsett House, where he is able to avail himself of largely-increased facilities for the rearing of his favourite Brahmas, as well as for the breeding of St Bernards. . . . At Trumpington, Mr Norris-Elye had only an acre and a half of land at his disposal, though he was permitted by a friend to run the fowls over adjoining fields in the autumn, but at Orsett he has twenty-four acres.