There is a reference in Joseph Plumb Martin's "A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier" to first having a heavy iron kettle for mess, dropping it, and later having a - if I recall correctly - tin or tin-lined iron issued. This would have been c. '76-78, northern theater.
I think the gentleman at "Hot Dip Tin" has been burying himself in tinware documentation for a while, and may have more details.
I think there is ample documentation on tin kettles being used during the "F&I" period, the most telling example being the dug example from Louisburg, which from my understanding is dated to the 1745 siege based on where it was found. Another written example is this regarding Virginia troops
George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, December 5, 1755
"We suffer greatly for want of kettles: those sent from below being tin, are of short duration"
The Fort Meigs kettle is just like the 18th century British and American tin and sheet-iron kettles. This published article, soon to be posted online, covers the subject: "`To subsist an Army well ...': Soldiers' Cooking Equipment, Provisions, and Food Preparation During the American War for Independence”: "’All the tin Camp-kettles they can procure ...’: Iron Pots, Pans, and Light-Weight Military Kettles, 1759-1782” Subheadings: “Tin Kettles, 1759-1771” “British Kettles in the American War, 1776-1781” “Continental Army and States’ Militia, 1775-1780” “American Sheet Iron Kettles, 1781-1782” “Officers’ Cooking Equipment” “Kettle Covers” "’The extreme suffering of the army for want of … kettles …’: Continental Soldiers and Kettle Shortages in 1782” “’A disgusting incumbrance to the troops …’: Linen Bags and Carts for Carrying Kettles” “’The Kettles to be made as formerly …” Kettle Capacity and Weight, and Archaeological Finds” Subheadings: “Kettle Capacity and Sizes, 1759-1782” “Louisbourg Kettle, Cape Breton Island” “Fort Ligonier (Buckets or Kettles?)” “Rogers Island (Bucket or Kettle?)” “1812 Kettles, Fort Meigs, Ohio” “Overview of Cooking Equipment, 1775-1783” Military Collector & Historian, vol. 53, no. 1 (Spring 2001), 7-23.
Good one John, but most of this info is post French & Indian War. I have found only one quote supposedly by Washington in 1755, but nothing else. No artifacts prior to the Revolution period. The problem I am having is, did these people know what tin was? Were they simply refering to items made by a tinsmith? Were they tinned or just sheet iron? I need more primary documentation. Regards, Keith.
Hey Le Loup, intact tinned iron (not sheet iron like the Meigs kettle)have been excavated from 7 Years War sites. Ligonier, Roger's Island, and Louisbourg.
Of course they knew what tin was. And my article does cover F&I kettles, see “Tin Kettles, 1759-1771” and the Louisbourg, Fort Ligonier, and Rogers Island kettles. Also, look at the kettles loaded in the wagon in Hogarth's "March to Finchley." Tin and sheet-iron kettles were commonly available and used from the mid-18th century on.
Thank you Passagassawakeag Trader. All these replies has left me wondering why I was unable to find anything in my internet search! I guess I must have been asking the wrong questions! At least we have the info no, thanks to my readers, that is the main thing. Regards, Keith.
17 comments:
With all of the itinerant tinkers of the day, were styles all that defined at the time?
Not just the style Gorges, but so far I have found no tin lined iron kettles at all before the late 18th century.
Keith.
There is a reference in Joseph Plumb Martin's "A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier" to first having a heavy iron kettle for mess, dropping it, and later having a - if I recall correctly - tin or tin-lined iron issued. This would have been c. '76-78, northern theater.
I think the gentleman at "Hot Dip Tin" has been burying himself in tinware documentation for a while, and may have more details.
Thank you Jenny. Yes I found some written documentation for the revolution period too, but nothing earlier so far.
Keith.
I think there is ample documentation on tin kettles being used during the "F&I" period, the most telling example being the dug example from Louisburg, which from my understanding is dated to the 1745 siege based on where it was found. Another written example is this regarding Virginia troops
George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, December 5, 1755
"We suffer greatly for want of kettles: those sent from below being tin, are of short duration"
The Fort Meigs kettle is just like the 18th century British and American tin and sheet-iron kettles. This published article, soon to be posted online, covers the subject:
"`To subsist an Army well ...': Soldiers' Cooking Equipment, Provisions, and Food Preparation During the American War for Independence”:
"’All the tin Camp-kettles they can procure ...’: Iron Pots, Pans, and Light-Weight Military Kettles, 1759-1782”
Subheadings:
“Tin Kettles, 1759-1771”
“British Kettles in the American War, 1776-1781”
“Continental Army and States’ Militia, 1775-1780”
“American Sheet Iron Kettles, 1781-1782”
“Officers’ Cooking Equipment”
“Kettle Covers”
"’The extreme suffering of the army for want of … kettles …’:
Continental Soldiers and Kettle Shortages in 1782”
“’A disgusting incumbrance to the troops …’: Linen Bags and Carts for Carrying Kettles”
“’The Kettles to be made as formerly …” Kettle Capacity and Weight, and Archaeological Finds”
Subheadings:
“Kettle Capacity and Sizes, 1759-1782”
“Louisbourg Kettle, Cape Breton Island”
“Fort Ligonier (Buckets or Kettles?)”
“Rogers Island (Bucket or Kettle?)”
“1812 Kettles, Fort Meigs, Ohio”
“Overview of Cooking Equipment, 1775-1783”
Military Collector & Historian, vol. 53, no. 1 (Spring 2001), 7-23.
Cheers,
John Rees
www.revwar75.com/library/rees/
Great stuff Luke! many thanks. Much appreciated.
Regards, Keith.
Good one John, but most of this info is post French & Indian War. I have found only one quote supposedly by Washington in 1755, but nothing else. No artifacts prior to the Revolution period.
The problem I am having is, did these people know what tin was? Were they simply refering to items made by a tinsmith? Were they tinned or just sheet iron? I need more primary documentation.
Regards, Keith.
There is no "Supposed" in the Washington comment, the document is right here in the Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field(DOCID+@lit(gw010232))
Hey Le Loup, intact tinned iron (not sheet iron like the Meigs kettle)have been excavated from 7 Years War sites. Ligonier, Roger's Island, and Louisbourg.
http://paquoudenek.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-retort-to-fort-meigs-1812-kettle-used_17.html
http://paquoudenek.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-retort-to-fort-meigs-1812-kettle-used_17.html
Of course they knew what tin was. And my article does cover F&I kettles, see “Tin Kettles, 1759-1771” and the Louisbourg, Fort Ligonier, and Rogers Island kettles. Also, look at the kettles loaded in the wagon in Hogarth's "March to Finchley." Tin and sheet-iron kettles were commonly available and used from the mid-18th century on.
Thank you John, much appreciated.
Regards, Keith.
Thank you Nathan Barlow for this information & the link, very much appreciated.
I have subscribed to your blog.
Sincere regards, Keith.
Thank you Passagassawakeag Trader. All these replies has left me wondering why I was unable to find anything in my internet search! I guess I must have been asking the wrong questions! At least we have the info no, thanks to my readers, that is the main thing.
Regards, Keith.
Many thanks for your reply & the link Luke MacGillie, very much appreciated.
Regards, Keith.
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