One of the oldest of the English Breeds of sheep is the Southdown, originating on the SouthDown hills of Sussex County, England. These small sheep were known for their extreme hardiness and produced a carass with tenderness and flavor unmatched by any other breed.  

In 1780, John Ellman began to standardize the breed. These small Southdowns in England grew in popularity up until 1908 when there were approximately 367 registered flocks, totaling about 111,000 ewes. World War 11 brought a sharp decline in numbers and by the end of World War 11, the demand for larger cuts of meat had almost forced the breed into extinction.

It is believed that the Southdowns reached America in 1803 and their popularity grew and subsequently declined in nearly the same pattern that had occurred in England. The small Southdowns could not compete with consumer demand, which ultimately led to the larger, leggier Southdowns of today.

Each year brought a further decline in the numbers because of the notion, "Bigger is Better!" No one at the time had the foresight that the small Southdown had a place in the miniature world. In 1986, Robert Mock began a search for miniature sheep. He had seen articles about these miniature sheep, but finding them proved to be difficult. However, four years later he found two small flocks.

After finding these flocks and promoting them as miniature sheep, others were found in various parts of the country which provided a larger gene pool. In order to distinguish these small sheep from today's larger Southdowns, Mr. Mock named them Olde English "Babydoll" Southdowns. In order to insure that the lines were kept pure, the Olde English "Babydoll" Registry was formed. Only adults two years and older were accepted so they could be judged against the original conformation standards and heights then verified by a veterinarian. The Foundation Flock was then established and the registry dosed. The process of registering lamb crops from the original Foundation Flock began. The registry now celebrates many years of success with the preservation of the "Babydolls."