English Cowboys?

[OverTheHills&FarAway]

Greetings Western Experts!

Having realized that the Victorian Spies in my current WIP are actually cowboys, and have waited almost a year to inform me of this, I'm tossing around the idea of English Cowboys.

My question is, does anyone know of any fiction concerning this considerably lesser-known variety of cowpoke? I'm in the process of research, since there does seem to be a precedent for this strange idea (well, it's strange to me, at least), but, other than Mark Twain's The American Claimant, I can't seem to find anything fiction-wise. Any clues?

[Vanatru]

Outside of the guy that Billy the Kid worked for...........I'm clueless.

Wasn't he the one that also brought over the angus?

[poetinahat]

All I can think of is Sham 69's tune "Hersham Boys":

Chorus:
Hersham Boys, Hersham Boys
Livestock boots and corduroys
Hersham Boys, Hersham Boys
They call us the Cockney Cowboys

In other words, nada. Good luck!

[alleycat]

There's been several movies where there was a definite English character in the old west. Most of the time they weren't cow punchers however; sometimes they were those hated sheep farmers. "The only good sheep herder is a dead sheep herder."

[seven41]

Since the English invested in raising beef in the US, there were several ranches owned by the Brits. John Tunstall of the Lincoln county wars was only one of them. There was a ranch in north-central Texas called Spur that was managed by a Scotsman. You can check the history on it by reading about the town of Spur, TX.

[JeanneTGC]

I know Zane Grey used Englishmen in his books, but I'm not sure if any of them were the heroes or if they were the ranchers/landowners only. O. Henry certainly had a wide variety of protagonists in his stories, some of whom I believe were English, but again, if they were "cowboys" or ranchers or otherwise, I can't recall at the moment.

I don't think it's a strange idea at all. Sorry I can't tell you how much it has or hasn't been done, though. No matter what, if that's your story to tell, tell it!

[Cav Guy]

The Scots were noted for their investment methods in ranching. There were a fair number of English cowboys (or would-be cowboys)...all you have to do is look for tales of what they called "remittance men." These were 'gentlemen' who were sent to America by their families to work out their wild oats or seek a better climate for their health and survived on money sent to them by their wealthy parents (the monthly remittance...hence their nicknames).

I don't know how many of these blokes have been used in Westerns, but don't let it stop you in any case.

[OverTheHills&FarAway]

(sorry it took so long to reply...)

Yes, I've read some about remittance men, and the idea intrigues me. If I were trying to "banish" the black sheep of the family, or at least teach him some sense by sending him away, the last place I'd choose is the American West.

Anyway. I think the idea is a ripe one for exploitation, since the two cultures are completely different from each other. I can imagine a dozen comedic situations of the English nobleman out riding with his little English saddle and his fox hunting gear....

Alright. Thanks, I'll keep searching. And if I can't find anything of substance, guess I'll just have to write my own.

[Festus]

I 'spect that there were actual cowboys from every nation and race - by all means go for it. :-)

[Popeyesays]

Lots of Brits were ranchers, some came by wy of Canada, some not. Cattle ranching was not a big business in Britain. Farms were too small to support American style graze-ranching.

Lots of Scots were also cowboys, though they tended to be dirt-poor in comparison to the Brits, lots of Irishmen too, as descendants of those emigrated from Ireland during the nineteenth century and the potato famine.

As an important Brit rancher, I would point out John Tunstal who in some ways kicked off the LIncoln County War. his main claim to fame was informally fostering William Bonney.

Regards,
Scott

[Evaine]

George MacDonald Fraser wrote a novel called Mr American, where an American comes into money and buys a big house in England in the reign of Edward VII.
His comments about fox-hunting are interesting - as a cowboy, he practically lived in the saddle, but the English foxhunters were jumping fences and tackling terrain that he wouldn't have attempted if he wasn't trying to keep up with them.

[Bonner]

Try Sinkiller or The Wandering Hill by Larry McMurtry. There is a third in this series but I don't recall. Characters are not exactly cowboys but will add a couple lumps to the tea.

[PattiTheWicked]

A decent article here: http://www.literary-liaisons.com/article007.html

Also, while I was doing some genealogy research I came across a number of Irishmen who worked as cowhands in the old west. This was partly due to the timing (potato famine, anyone?) and because they were accustomed to being around horses, so their skill was valued on a ranch. Not only that, they were usually single young men who were willing to work cheap.