51/16

This spade was for general cultivating work. It is very similar to a modern spade apart from the way in which the blade is attached to the handle. Instead of the handle being inserted into a socket formed at the top of the blade, the metal is spliced into the centre of the handle and secured with rivets.

1 spade: wood and metal; fair condition

MERL 'catalogue index' card - SPADE // DATE ACQUIRED: January, 1951 // GROUP: Cultivating ['Digging' Scored through] // NEGATIVE: 35/210 // PERIOD: about 1850 // PLACE OF ORIGIN: The H.J. Massingham Collection // NUMBER: 51/16 // DESCRIPTION: This spade was made about 1850 in the Forge at Churchill (Oxon). The design is very similar to a modern spade apart from the unusual way in which the blade is attached to the handle. Instead of the handle being inserted into a socket formed at the top of the blade, the metal is spliced into the centre of the handle and secured there by three rivets. // The spade is 41.5" high and the blade measures 9.8" x 11.3., MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - 'Museum of English Rural Life // Equipment to be loaned to the Cotswold Tradition Exhibition // Cat Ref. No.: // [tick] 51/16 M // [tick] Spade [Cleaned] [tick] ...', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - '[insert] MASSINGHAM FILE [end insert] // THE COTSWOLD TRADITION // AN EXHIBITION AT CIRENCESTER PARK // MAY-SEPTEMBER 1951 ... // RECEIPT. // Received with gratitude the following articles, collected from Reading University on the 29th April, 1951: // ... Spade. ... // Loaned by The Massingham Collection.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/16 // NAME: SPADE // NEG. NO.: 35/210 // STORAGE: P. Ex [Permanent Exhibition] Cultivating.'

Churchill [Oxfordshire]

1852-01-01 - 1848-01-01

Wood, Metal

Massingham, H. J. (Harold John) (Donor)