I found a nail. It looks like a really old nail, the sort that were hand beaten by a blacksmith, and it's certainly a lot longer than the average nail that you find in a hardward department. Even the head looks sort of square and beaten over. I can't imagine that it is actually a hand made nail. I found it in our street. I think our house is over 100 years old (just) but they were using machine made nails then. Our area isn't that old. It is strictly post Industrial Revolution here. But it looks old, and that's the main thing.
I want to have 'conversation piece' and I've been thinking about it for a while. I can use one of the old Woodwick candle jars and put in some old keys I have finally removed from my key ring and a tiger's eye stone in the shape of a heart. Now I have the nail, which looks odd and all I need to do is add a lock of some description. The keys, by the way, are a broken key to a lock that no longer exists, a key to a door that no longer exists and a key to a house that no longer exists. I'll post a pic as soon as I get it sorted.
I want to have 'conversation piece' and I've been thinking about it for a while. I can use one of the old Woodwick candle jars and put in some old keys I have finally removed from my key ring and a tiger's eye stone in the shape of a heart. Now I have the nail, which looks odd and all I need to do is add a lock of some description. The keys, by the way, are a broken key to a lock that no longer exists, a key to a door that no longer exists and a key to a house that no longer exists. I'll post a pic as soon as I get it sorted.
Nail making by hand continued almost to the end of the nineteenth century I believe. It was traditionally a woman's job. My husband's maternal great-grandfather was a master chainmaker in Oldhill in the Black Country (where they made chain for the Titanic amongst other ships) and his great-great grandmother on his father's side was a nail maker along with a number of other women. She went off one lunchtime, taking off her apron and re-appeared an hour later to resume her work, explaining that she just been off to get married! The family were all Methodist so they celebrated with a cup of tea and a few sandwiches once her shift finished. (Nothing like a story to add to your nail :)
ReplyDeleteThat's my idea of a perfect wedding! I love the sound of your husband's great, great grandmother. That's the sort of woman who keeps the world turning. Thank you for that story, I'll think of it every time I look at the nail. WS x
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