A LIVING HISTORY BLOG.

18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Finally I have a first ! The First ! I have found documentation for a bag ladle !!!

To say I am a little excited is an understatement. I have been 30 hours researching over the past two days, and finally found what I was looking for.  It has ben a bone of contention for a long time now whether or not woodsmen carried ball moulds & lead ladles in their shot pouches. I can not prove they did, but I have good reason for carrying these tools in my shot pouch. Trouble was, there has been no documentation for small, short, light lead ladles.
Now you no doubt remember seeing the lead ladle I carry and use. I made this about 20 years ago, and I did not copy it from an original. I made it at the time because I had the need, and I thought that if I used common materials and common 18th century tools, combined with a simple design that most anyone could come up with and produce, then that was as close as I could get at the time.
But now I have found documentation in an image of an original ladle, Indian made, and almost exactly the same as the one I made. Only two differences, (1) it is cruder in make, and (2) the crimp on the socket to insert a green stick is on the top instead of on the bottom as mine is.
Unfortunately the document and the image of the original is copyright, so I can't post it here. But I will give you the link. Please bare in mind that I have edited the original image by isolating the lead ladle so I could better identify it. You may need to do the same.
http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00027829/00116/3j




9 comments:

Unknown said...

You must be over the moon Le Loup! Well done.

Did you mean this link....

http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00027829/00116/3j

Keith said...

Thank you Craig. Yes that is the link, same site, different page. I have changed it on the post.
Thanks again.
Keith.

Keith said...

Thank you Ramana. I feel this find by an Aussie/Englishman may stir some people up though!
Keith.

Gorges Smythe said...

Sometimes common sense tells you what history books can't. They weren't stupid back then. Congratulations!

Karl said...

Congrats Keith...

Stir away my friend, it's just what the "establishment" needs, some times what we do as a matter of course and would make sense to do is lost in the bog of proof and provinance... well done.

Karl.

http://ranger-pathfinder-notes.blogspot.com/

Keith said...

Thank you Gorges & Karl. Couldn't agree more. I just love it when it all comes together!
Keith.

Fimbulmyrk said...

Well done, and you deserve that for sure! Many "establishment" historian could and should take you as an example.

It´s when you have to actually use the gear you know what it´s intended to, and you pair that with methodological accuracy! Ah, and I know how great it is when everything suddenly comes together after all the work... and it´s good to witness you enjoy it so!

Keith said...

Much appreciated Fimbulmyrk.
Regards, Keith.

Unknown said...

I ordered a piece of 16 ga copper sheet on Amazon. What are the dimensions of your ladle? What diameter is your handle?
Paul