bluntchisel
Registered
Hi, Guys,
A stitch in time...? Well, maybe.
I've metal-detected these 62 thimbles from fields all over Kent during the last couple of years, and with every dig we find more of 'em. Why?
There are several explanations as to how come our fields are littered with these interesting little objects. The most likely reason is that when harvest time came around it was all hands to the pumps! Every woman and child who could walk went off to do their bit alongside the men in the fields, who were either reaping corn, etc. or digging up the vegetables. It's believed that the women and kids followed along behind, packing the produce into sacks, then sewing the ends closed, thus enabling the sacks to be loaded onto carts and hauled away. Another explanation is that the women and children would accompany the men to the sites, then spend their time repairing/making garments for either their families or to be sold on. Note that I've mentioned the kids twice - a lot of the thimbles we find are tiny, which proves that they were introduced to needle and thread at a very early age. EVERYONE had to pull their weight in those days - times were hard and there was no room nor grub for slackers!
An interesting snippet that proves if there's a dollar to be made then someone will make it! Some of the thimbles carry advertising impressed into the designs. At the rate these were being lost there must have been a huge market for making/selling thimbles, so why not utilise, right?
A question - were the massive thimble losses a local thing or have you metal-detectorists in other parts of the UK also experienced these finds?
All the best,
Bob. (Yeah, I know this is nothing to do with wood-working but some of you may be interested!)
And finally, here's a few collectables - solid silver thimbles foolishly brought onto the fields and lost to their owners forever. Even though silver was cheaper then I bet the husbands or boyfriends were well-pissed at the news!
A stitch in time...? Well, maybe.
I've metal-detected these 62 thimbles from fields all over Kent during the last couple of years, and with every dig we find more of 'em. Why?
There are several explanations as to how come our fields are littered with these interesting little objects. The most likely reason is that when harvest time came around it was all hands to the pumps! Every woman and child who could walk went off to do their bit alongside the men in the fields, who were either reaping corn, etc. or digging up the vegetables. It's believed that the women and kids followed along behind, packing the produce into sacks, then sewing the ends closed, thus enabling the sacks to be loaded onto carts and hauled away. Another explanation is that the women and children would accompany the men to the sites, then spend their time repairing/making garments for either their families or to be sold on. Note that I've mentioned the kids twice - a lot of the thimbles we find are tiny, which proves that they were introduced to needle and thread at a very early age. EVERYONE had to pull their weight in those days - times were hard and there was no room nor grub for slackers!
An interesting snippet that proves if there's a dollar to be made then someone will make it! Some of the thimbles carry advertising impressed into the designs. At the rate these were being lost there must have been a huge market for making/selling thimbles, so why not utilise, right?
A question - were the massive thimble losses a local thing or have you metal-detectorists in other parts of the UK also experienced these finds?
All the best,
Bob. (Yeah, I know this is nothing to do with wood-working but some of you may be interested!)
And finally, here's a few collectables - solid silver thimbles foolishly brought onto the fields and lost to their owners forever. Even though silver was cheaper then I bet the husbands or boyfriends were well-pissed at the news!
and is it expensive