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Nothing is known about the origin of this ratchet hanger with eight teeth. It was used for suspending cooking utensils over an open hearth.
Nothing is known about the origin of this ratchet hanger with eight teeth. It was used for suspending cooking utensils over an open hearth.

1 Ratchet: metal

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'The tubular upright is 2 feet 3.75 inches long. The hook is pointed and there is a knob from which the loop is suspended. The point of the loop is curled over. // The ratchet is 1 ft. 3.25 inches long, 2.6 inches wide and has eight teeth. The hook on the ratchet is 1.5 inches wide. // See 51/341 [52/341].', MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 52/341 – ‘‘Ratchet hangers were used for suspending cooking utensils over an open hearth. // The hanger was made up of an iron bar, curved at the top end, with a flat sheet iron ratchet attachment similar to a coarse saw. The hooked end of the upright passed over the wooden chimney bar. The lower end had a hook suspended from a loop or knob which caught in the teeth of the ratchet. The hanger could thus be set at varying distances above the fire. // The hook is a single piece of metal and is suspended from a knob. Some hangers are ornamented at the connection between the top of the ratchet and the upright. // Where the chimney was fitted with a pot crane a shorter hanger was generally used.', Originated from W. Wheeler esq. [Added by Tim Jerrome for the Further Afield project, 2024]