Object number
53/70
Description
A pack carrier used in the early 19th C. by a Reading tea merchant, for carrying his samples of tea around the country villages.
This pack carrier or pack stick was designed for carrying small packages on human backs. It was used in the early 19th century by a Reading tea merchant, for carrying his samples of tea around the country villages. Many pack carriers were merely ash sticks cut from the hedge and used, but this specimen has been carefully shaped and polished. The initials 'T. Q. W.' have been clearly stamped on the handle end and also less clearly the initials 'J. S.'. The stick has a gentle curve and is wider at the carrying end. This carrying end has been shaped to form a hook, while a brass ring is located just behind it. A small round peg projecting upwards from the carrier has been mortised 11 inches from the handle.
Physical description
1 pack carrier; wood; good condition
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue index' card – ‘… // DATE ACQUIRED: // GROUP: // NEGATIVE: // PERIOD: // PLACE OF ORIGIN: // NUMBER: // DESCRIPTION: …‘ This pack carrier or packs stick was designed for carrying small packages on human backs and it was used in the early 19th century by a Mr. Waite, a Reading tea merchant, for carrying his samples of tea around the country villages. // ... // Bibliography Jobson, Alan "Household & Country Crafts" Elek 1951 pp 157 & 190. //
Production date
1800-01-01 - 1824-12-31
Production period
Early-nineteenth century
Object name
Material
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
