Brecknockshire Agricultural Society

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Brecknockshire Agricultural Society

Brecknockshire Agricultural Society is a Welsh agricultural group that began in March 1755 in Brecknockshire. It is the oldest continuously operating agricultural society in Great Britain, and it celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2005.

Purpose
The society was started to encourage farming and local crafts, and to promote the general good of the county.

Early members
Many landowners and prominent people joined in its early days, including Sir Edward Williams of Gwernyfed, Marmaduke Gwynne, Edward Jeffreys, and other notable figures such as the Duke of Ancaster, Viscount Hereford, several Earls, and other local leaders.

Early practices
In its first years the society acted like a county club. Each subscriber paid one shilling for a ordinary meeting and one shilling for a special meeting. The second meeting was held on 16 April 1755. Members were expected to pay for their dinner even if they did not attend. Dinners began at 2:00 pm and the society closed at 10:00 pm.

Early work
The society discussed questions relevant to the times. It initially offered premiums for locally made cloth, but that competition was not successful. It then offered premiums for growing turnips, which helped promote the vegetable in the area.

Awards
In 1810, the society (then called the Brecknockshire Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture) offered 39 premiums totaling £179 and two gold medals. Prizes were given for reclaiming and fallowing common land for wheat, and for farm workers and boys who planted the most turnips.

Sources
This information comes from historical works, including E. Poole’s 1886 history and later scholarship such as Midmore and Moore-Colyer (2006).