The search is on for a White Ayrshire Shorthorn Cross cow on which to model Turriff’s newest art project.

The Turra Coo sculpture is in the planning stages, with £84,000 of funding already been raised, however, the three appointed artists who will make the structure, are in need of a ‘model’ on which to base their sculpture on.

The story of the ‘Turra Coo’ is a tremendous story which started on the farm of Lendrum, four miles south of Turriff; the farmer there was Robert Paterson, a keen industrialist and fore thinker of his time.

In 1911 and 1913 the government introduced the National Insurance Act and the National Health Insurance Regulations Act. The compulsory tax was to provide social welfare for all, health schemes, hospitals and unemployment benefit. There was a set rate of 7d per week, the employer paid 3d for each worker and workers 4d.

Many rural people were unhappy with the tax as they would see little benefit in the countryside, unemployment hardly existed in agricultural areas and the tax would only be of benefit to those in city developments. Countrymen felt that they had been dealt a hefty blow to the little wages they earned.

Employers sympathised with workers and objected to the levy on their behalf. Turriff District Protest Association was formed and Robert Paterson was nominated as the secretary.

Robert Paterson was charged with failure to pay the tax for his employees in August 1913. He was taken to court and fined £15, the Sheriff then ordered him to pay the Insurance Commission £7 in arrears.

This he refused to do where upon the Sheriff ordered a poinding and sale from the farm of Lendrum something to the value of £7. The Sheriff-Officer went to Lendrum and chose a small boned Aryshire-Shorthorn cross cow, the house dairy cow. Before leaving the farm Paterson took green paint and adorned her flanks with the words ‘LG(ie Lloyd George) and Coo, Lendrum to Leeks’ (with reference to the Welsh national symbol).

No one would lend transport, so the cow now immortalised as the ‘Turra Coo’ was led to Turriff on foot. Neither of the two marts in Turriff would conduct the sale and an auctioneer was sought from Macduff.

When sold in Aberdeen it was bought by a Buchan farmer who presented the cow back to Robert Paterson at Lendrum. The cow was paraded through the streets of Turriff bedecked with ribbons and ‘everlasting’ flowers on her neck chains, the brass band played ‘See the Conquering Hero Comes’.

A crowd of 3-4000 gathered in the Market Square - men, women and children listened to the speeches at the gala event.

If you are looking out your window and can currently see a beast that resembles the one in the picture, get in touch with Kate Ferguson: Tel. 01888 562443.