51/587

Flails were commonly used to thresh corn and other crops to separate the grain from the husks before the development of threshing machines. Threshing by flail provided winter work for labourers and was done on a threshing floor in a barn. A flail usually consists of a handle or 'hand staff', a 'swingel' (the swinging part of the flail which hits the grain) and a 'swivel' joint to join the two together. The hand staff of this flail is mahogany and the swingel is willow. It belonged to Levi Smith, from East Hendred, whose daughter remembers him threshing on the day her youngest brother was born in 1889.

1 flail; wood [mahogany and willow]; leather and twine

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This flail is one of a pair which belonged to Levi Smith, with 51/586L and is very similar to that flail. // The swingel is broken off just below the metal band, which in this case is adjoined at each end with a short area of twine binding. The wood of the hand-staff is mahogany, and the swingel is willow. The measurements would be much the same as those of 51/586L if the swingel were not broken off. // See also 51/586L and 51/46M [sic, probably 51/45].', MERL 'Catalogue index' card – [51/586] – 'Miss Lavinia Smith said that this flail belong to Levi Smith (who probably lived in East Hendred, Berkshire). His daughter remembers his threshing corn in Harris’s barn the day her youngest brother was born in 1889. // The flail is one of a pair, the other being 51/587L. They are both very well made. The hand-staff is 36 inches long and is made of wych-elm. It has a 4 inch band of iron binding the end near the joint. The swivel is neatly bound with string, the bolt attaching the swivel to the hand-staff is made of iron. A leather thong attaches the hand-staff to the swingel, which has a thick leather loop attached to it, bound on by leather thonging. The swingel is probably holly, is 36 inches long and unusually thin, it is bound with a thick piece of iron near the thonged end, almost 3 inches long. It seems probably that this band covers a break in the stick, though it may possibly be a reinforcement to prevent the stick from snapping, or it may be to give added weight. // See also 51/587L and 51/46M [sic, probably 51/45].', Lavinia Smith No. 224., Lavinia Smith Catalogue (D60/28) - 'A list of the contents of the East Hendred museum. July 5 1940 // Heating and Cooking // 223-225. Three flails. The pair were used by Levi Smith. His daughter remembers seeing him threshing corn in Harris's barn the day her youngest brother was born (about 1889). These are beautifully made. The large one I bought from an empty barn at Culham Manor when it was dismantelled [sic]' (See also 51/582 and 51/586/1-2), Heritage of the Hendreds Exhibition 1969 - 'Catalogue of Exhibits // Number 341 // Flail // Lent by MERL Miss Smith c.' (This description could also be in reference to 51/582 and 51/586/1-2)

1875-01-01 - 1899-12-31

Late-nineteenth century

Wood, mahogany, Wood, willow, Leather

Rippon, Miss Dorothy May Lyddon (Agent)