51/138

This breast plough comes from Winchcombe in Gloucestershire and was used on hilly fields between Roel camp and Sudeley Hill. It is made of iron and has a wooden handle. These ploughs were in common use until the twentieth century for paring turf, levelling ground and clearing land of stubble.

Breast plough: metal (iron); wood. good condition:on 4/11/55 had new handle and cross piece fitted.

Citation in publication [H. J. Massingham, 'Country Relics' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1939)] –'Not the least surprising thing about it is the variety of labour this most primeval of ploughs is called upon to perform. it is used for turf-cutting, for levelling "oonti-tumps" or molehills, or emmet-casts (in Essex), or shaving the unruly grass at the sides of the road, for ploughing in potatoes, vetches and sainfoin, for cleaning land of stubble and weeds and for all manner of garden work. // My own specimen of Breast Plough, which stands a good 8 ft. in height, was given me by Mr George Marshall, the brother of Jimmy Marshall, the hero of the sledge-hammer (see p.42 et seq.). // The maker cut the beam of the plough - some 6 ft. long - and its fork, upon which was mortised a cross-piece for the handle, out of a single piece of elm wood. The other end is chisel-shaped and took the broad curving share, with an upturned flange on the left side of it, by means of a wooden or iron wedge called the "quoinit". // The Breast Plough is, in fact, a cleaning tool: in the morning of its days, it prepared the ground for the seed; in the evening, it played its part in the last act of harvest.' (pp.102-104), MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/138 // NAME: BREAST PLOUGH // NEG NO.: 35/192 // STORAGE: Loan.', MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'These ploughs were used extensively until the beginning of this century [20th century] for paring turf, levelling the ground and clearing land of stubble. As many as 8 or 10 men might be employed on one field, as one man could work about ¼ acre in a day. The plough was pushed from the thighs, the share penetrating to a depth of 2 or 3 inches and a distance of a couple of feet, at one thrust. The handles were then turned, and a thin slice of earth thrown up, the side wing of the share acting as a coulter. Usually the earth was turned off the share on the side opposite the coulter. // Other names given to the implement were DENTCHER-PLOUGH in Kent, BETTING IRON in Hereford, and SLAUGHTER SPADE in Scotland.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - '[insert] MASSINGHAM FILE [end insert] // THE COTSWOLD TRADITION // AN EXHIBITION AT CIRENCESTER PARK // MAY-SEPTEMBER 1951 ... // RECEIPT. // Received with gratitude the following articles, collected from Reading University on the 29th April, 1951: // ... Breast Plough. ... // Loaned by The Massingham Collection.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - 'Museum of English Rural Life // Equipment to be loaned to the Cotswold Tradition Exhibition // Cat Ref. No.: // 51/138 M // [tick] Breast Plough [Cleaned] [tick] ...'

1875 - 1925

Wood, Metal, iron