Object number
66/276
Description
This is a watercress basket, known as a ‘pad’ in Surrey and a ‘flat’ in Essex, used to collect watercress from the beds and send it to market. It was made in Billericay, Essex, and used by R. Coe and Sons, a family firm of watercress growers in Gomshall and Abinger Hammer, Surrey. Watercress baskets like these were superseded by chip baskets. This basket is coarsely made of brown willow, bamboo and cane. It is rectangular in shape, with a slightly domed lid, and has a twisted handle at each end and three holes at the back for ties.
Physical description
1 basket with lid: willow, bamboo, cane, string
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: Basket (WATERCRESS) (unknown maker) // Acc. No.: 66/276 // Group: MARKETING. Vegetables // Neg. no.: 60/7893 // Place of origin: Essex // Period in use: Still used. Probably 19th century if not earlier. // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Brown willow. Bamboo. Cane & twine used in repair. // Shape and construction: Oblong hamper very coarsely made. Bottom: 7 sticks crossways. 2 corner ones. 7 & 10 stakes = 34 Slewed. Border 4-behind-2. Twisted handle at each end. Cover: 6 sticks (bamboo). Randed. Slight dome. 3 holes at back for ties. // Dimensions: Length: 21” Width: 15” Depth: 7” // Use: At Abinger Hammer, Surrey for dispatch of watercress to market. Returnable. // Dialect names: PAD in Surrey. FLAT in Essex. // Distribution: General in the past. // Additional notes: Now superseded by Chip Baskets.'
Production place
Billericay
Production date
1966
Object name
Material
Technique
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_7893.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\Baskets\66_276_cob.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_9973.tif - High resolution image
