cow keeper
 

I have come across a job description as a cow keeper anyone know what a cow keeper is in todays definition.

Someone who keeps - ie looks after - cows. I think of it as a town rather than a rural occupation. Before refrigeration, milk would not last very long, so the cows would be as close to the population as possible. This would not be so important for beef cattle.

My understanding is that villagers (and townspeople) kept milking cows which could be grazed on common land. A cow keeper was someone employed to gather up all the cows and drive them to pasture, keep guard during the day, them drive them back home again for milking . This was happening in Perth (Western Australia) in the 1890's at least, and I have interviewed a lady who was a refugee from a village in Polish/Ukraine/ Russia disputed territory who spoke of this system operating in her village pre WWII...and doubtless elsewhere

My cowkeeper was in Bloomsbury, London supplying milk locally in 1823, until his bankruptcy in 1830 (he was described as a corndealer, mealman and milkman)

If he was selling the milk, then doubtless the cows belonged to him. I have read of cows being kept (and milked) in Green Park, London in Regency novels, so doubtless other areas had the same. Quite an interesting article here
https://memoirsofametrogirl.com/2020...-history-cows/

All very interesting! That was a good article, Bev. Thanks.