A LIVING HISTORY BLOG.

18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Monday 2 November 2015

Another Candlewood Quote 17th Century.

A 17th Century Candlewood Splint Holder.


Those same knots the planters split out into small shivers, about the thickness of a finger, or thinner; and those they burn instead of candles, giving a very good light, and they call it candlewood, and it is much used in New England and Virginia, and among the Dutch planters in the villages.
The History of the Royal Society of London, for Improving of Natural Knowledge from its First Rise. Thomas Birch. 1662.
The candle, made of either tallow or bayberry wax, was the standard lighting device at Jamestown. Pine torches were often used out of doors, and rushlights and candlewood were undoubtedly used in the humbler dwellings during the very early years of the settlement. 
The Project Gutenberg EBook of New Discoveries at Jamestown
by John L. Cotter
J. Paul Hudson


My thanks to Mr K.P. Carter for the link leading to the first quote above. 

Addition 3/2/2016 Matt Lazur  said...
Very interesting post Keith.. Bayberry is called wax myrtle here in south Carolina and the berries in season are full of wax! A whitish patina of wax covers each berry that has a pleasant odor as all as the leaves... Keeps the bugs down when leaves are crushed and applied to body.. The Candle wood here is long leaf pine aged stumps and we use them also for light I.. Great stuff!!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Very interesting post Keith.. Bayberry is called wax myrtle here in south Carolina and the berries in season are full of wax! A whitish patina of wax covers each berry that has a pleasean odor as all as the leaves... Keeps the bugs down when leaves are crushed and applied to body.. The Candle wood here is long leaf pine aged stumps and we use them also for light I.. Great stuff!!

Keith said...

Thank you for the info Matt, much appreciated.
Regards, Keith.

Gatitos'World said...

No pine where we live. I extract it from pieces of timbre... I keep a piece in my tinderbox.