51/1166/1

Rushlight holder made of iron and mounted on a wooden stand. The rush was placed between the jaws, which have a counterwight to grip the rush.
This rushlight holder is made of iron and mounted on a turned wooden stand. The rush was placed between the jaws, which have a counterwight to grip the rush. Rushlights became extremely common after 1709 with the introduction of a tax on candles, which lasted until 1831. Rushes were peeled and the pith was weathered and immersed in hot bacon fat and left to dry, before being burned. This holder came to the Museum with a pair of either snuffers or wick trimmers.

1 rushlight holder: metal, wood

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This rushlight holder is made of iron and mounted on a turned wood stand. The rush was placed between the jaws, one of which is weighted to grip it. The holder is 12.5 inches high. There is also a pair of snuffers [additional note ‘wick trimmers, continental, probably 20th century’] which go with it. They work on the same principle as candle snuffers and are 3.9 inches long. // See also 51/1184.', MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 51/1184 – 'Rushlights were made from the common soft rush, “juncus effusus”. The rushes were peeled, apart from a narrow strip running the length of the rush, which served to hold the pith together. After a certain amount of weathering the pith was immersed in hot bacon fat or some other suitable substance and then placed on a sheet of bark to dry. // Gilbert White in the “Natural History of Selbourne” describes the whole process of rush light making in a letter dated 1775. He mentions that there may be upwards of 1600 rush lights to the pound and that one rush costs about one eleventh of a penny to make. Rushes were normally about 12 inches long and one of this length would burn for about half an hour. // The use of the rush light became extremely common after the introduction of the tax on candles in 1709. This tax remained in force until 1831. Most rushlight holders, therefore, date from the 18th and early 19th centuries., Victoria & Albert Museum No. 702.a, 1891.

1700-01-01 - 1799-12-31

Eighteenth century

Wood, Metal