Object number
75/121
Description
This is a beetle, a heavy wooden mallet used in a similar manner to a sledge hammer. The handle is made from a piece of knotted wood with the bark still on, and the head consists of a log which has been bound with a strip of metal at either end. The beetle is said to have been used in the Reading area, Berkshire.
Physical description
1 mallet: wood; metal; fair condition
Label Text
Fencing mallet. This fencing mallet, also known as a 'Beetle', was used to hammer in stakes for either hedges or fencing. Fencing on farms not only keeps animals in to prevent them from trampling on crops, but also deters thieves and predators. It is important for a farmer to recognize the ideal fence for their livestock. Barbed wire fences, which became popular during the industrial revolution, are ideal for sheep and cows but not for fast moving animals such as horses.
Archival history
MERL Catalogue Form (temporary) – ‘Object name: Beetle // Class: FENCING Hedge // … // Notes: Said to have been used in the Reading area. Handle a rod (still with bark on). Knotty wood. Hole (diam.) though which the rod is driven straight through “head” of beetle which is a log bound at end by a metal band that is nailed through the wood. There are other nail heads around the centre of the beetle head. I do not know for what purpose’
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External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_13274.tif - High resolution image
