Object number
59/257
Creator
Description
Jack; device used for turning a spit. 17th C. jack made of brass and iron. Stamped with the name 'P. Pearson', from Somerset.
A jack is a device used for turning a spit. This is a seventeenth-century jack made of brass and iron. It is stamped with the name 'P. Pearson'. It came from Somerset.
Physical description
1 spit jack: brass, iron
Label Text
Spit jack. One of the older objects on display, this spit jack dates to the 17th century and would have been used to turn a spit. Otherwise known as a roasting jack or weight jack, this weight-driven device contains gears which would turn the top 'wheel' and therefore rotate the spit. Various mechanisms have been used to turn spit roasts since they became widespread in the medieval period. Initially they were turned by hand, usually by a boy - this is where the name 'spit jack' derives from. Dogs on treadmills, clockwork jacks and steam powered jacks have all been popular as the design developed.
Archival history
Pre-MERL list / description – [Victoria and Albert Museum] ‘Ironwork objects for transfer to Museum of English Rural Life, Reading ... No. 3. Spit-jack. Brass and iron. Stamped with the name P. Pearson. English (from Somersetshire): 17th century.'
Production date
1600-01-01 - 1699-12-31
Production period
Seventeenth century
Object name
Material
Associated subject
