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
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