63/170/1-2

Mrs Williams (Manufacturer)

These two oval table baskets, intended for bread or fruit, were given to the Museum by the Rural Industries Bureau. They were made by Mrs Williams of Newborough, Anglesey. They are made of coiled marram grass sewn with linen thread and handles have been made at each end by extending the coil at the rim. Mrs Williams believed she was the last person making marram grass baskets for sale, owing to the shortage of the material.

2 baskets: marram grass; oval

Visiting researcher note, Tim Johnson (basketmaker), 20 June 2014 – The Economic Botany collection at Kew contains a pair of shoes made of marram grass. Also see 'The Marram Weavers of Newborough: An ancient Anglesey craft' by Miriam Griffiths (1997)., Rural Industries Bureau label – ‘DESCRIPTION OF ARTICLE: 2 Baskets (Marram Grass) B.63 (old No. B.208) // PRICE. 30/– // DATE. August 1956 // NAME OF CRAFTSMAN. Mrs. Williams // ADDRESS. Bodwena, Newborough, Anglesey’, MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: BASKET. TABLE // Acc. No.: 63/170/(2) // Group: DOMESTIC. Serving food. // Neg. no.: 60/4730 // Place of origin: Newborough of Anglesey // Period in use: 1956 // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Marram grass sewn with linen thread. // Maker: Mrs. Williams // Shape and construction: Oval. Coil construction very fine. Handles at each end made by extending the coil at the rim which is doubled. // Dimensions: Oval 5” x 5 1/2”. Height 2” // Use: For bread or fruit. // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes: The maker believed she was the last person making these baskets for sale, owing to the shortage of marram grass. // See letter. Materials file.'

Newborough [Anglesey [unitary authority]]

1956 - 1956

Basket, bread, Basket, fruit

Rural Industries Bureau (Corporate Body)
Mahoney, E. W. (Agent)
Elson, M. (Agent)
Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)