John Lindley, who died on May 27 aged 87, is probably best known for Lavenham Wallen, a Friesian cow and a world record breaker. Though she was not stunning looking, she had all the breeding John wanted, being one of the last grand-daughters of the most famous Friesian bull Terling Marthus, imported to the UK in 1922. John always said it was one of the best purchases he ever made.

Wallen went on to break the World Lifetime Butterfat All Breeds Record in 1967, which she held for eight years. It had been held by a Jersey for 9,500Ib of butterfat but Wallen produced 12,166Ib of butterfat. She was considered the best cow in the world for those eight years. She bred well too – five daughters gave 50 tons of milk and her sons did well too, with semen sales to Australia, New Zealand and Denmark.

Wallen died a few days before her 21st birthday. The Lindleys planned to hold a ‘21st party’ and had invitations printed and a cake ordered. Cancellations were made and people thought the Lindleys were very matter of fact when they gave the reason as ‘she has died’, but were full of surprise when they discovered ‘she’ was a cow who had lived to a good age!

The day she died the news spread through Wellington. The Wellington Weekly was quick to pick up the news and within the hour the national media was onto the story. Wallen had an obituary in the national and the local press. The Lindleys decided to bury her on the farm, marking the spot with a Wellingtonia tree – a species of fir tree, also known as Sequoiadendron Giganteum, and named by John’s great-great-grandfather, the famous botanist John Lindley.

John was born on October 20, 1932, in Norfolk and had a nomadic childhood. He and his mother accompanied his father around the United Kingdom at his RAF bases. Following the war, John’s parents settled at Dommett Farm on the Blackdown Hills.

From a very early age John had a keen interest in cows and had visited the Effjay herd of Shorthorns belonging to Mrs Fielding-Johnson while at prep-school. He had written and asked to see her herd, and she kindly met him at the station and offered him a bed for the night thinking he might like to buy some cattle, not realising he was a boy of 13 with a passion for them!

The Lindleys first bought shorthorns in 1945. After a few years, they realised the future for dairy was in Friesians.

John had a lifelong interest in pedigrees, whether it was cows, dogs – the Lindleys have had the same line of working springer spaniels since 1941 – and English families. He himself had an interesting pedigree – as well as his forebear the botanist John Lindley, his great-grandfather was the notable judge Lord Lindley and his grandfather Dr Lennox reputedly married Princess Karemeh, daughter of the Shah of Persia.

As John’s farming progressed, he outgrew Dommett Farm and moved to Nowers Farm, on the outskirts of Wellington, in 1951. John took on wider roles alongside his own farming, including overseeing the Cornbury Estate in Oxfordshire, owned by Lord Rotherwick, his cousin by marriage. The estate was made up of 2,500 acres and had no manager but heads of departments which included three dairies, beef, sheep, pigs and arable. He also started and oversaw 1,200 acres at Crewkerne for the British and Commonwealth Shipping Company from 1968 and oversaw its sale in 1987; he oversaw 300 acres at Babcarry for the same company; advised on 800 acres at Bath; and advised on 1,000 acres at Ilminster.

John’s timing was always immaculate and he sold the Friesians and milk quota, making profits on both. He then built up his herd of Nowers Simmental in beef production. Following the sale of these, he moved to Red Ruby Devons, bringing back Devons to Nowers after 100 years. With his extensive experience with Friesians, he helped the society with the cattle improvement and classification committee. He and his wife Sylvia successfully showed the Devons, as they had shown Simmental, Friesians, horses and poultry before that. He had shown fur and feather at The Royal Bath & West Show for a staggering 70 years.

Good stories arose from the shows and sales. Once, while leading a young bull out of a lorry at an auction, it trod on his gumboot. The whole gumboot came off, as the bull was going a fair pace, so John had to keep going to keep up with the bull. John could be seen in Taunton Market with one gumboot on one foot and a sock on the other! John found these types of things funny and was able to laugh at himself. He had a real twinkle and could put people at ease.

Despite that he took his duties seriously. John served on the Friesian Council for 12 years, as well as the Friesian judging panel, was chairman and then president of the South West Holstein-Friesian Club, administrator of the A.B. Lucas Memorial Trust for over 21 years, chairman of the South West Simmental Club, chairman of Supersires A1 bull selection committee, chairman of the Milk Marketing Board Records South West twice, president of Somerset Young Farmers Club, chairman Somerset & Avon Country Land Owners Association. For the Red Ruby Devon Cattle Society he was a member of council, chairman and finally president of the society when he was 81.

John served as High Sheriff of Somerset in 1980 and was made Commander of the Order of St John’s Ambulance, following a number of years’ voluntary service.

But for all that, he really just enjoyed being at Nowers Farm with his wife Sylvia and children Anna and Ophelia, and grandchildren, all of whom survive him.