51/828

The weight jack is a device which developed in the late-sixteenth century for slowly turning a spit over an open fire when roasting meat and poultry. This jack is made of wrought iron with wooden drums over which the weights attached to ropes or chains were run and would have been fastened to the wall above the fireplace by the four legs.

1 weight jack: metal [wrought iron]; good condition

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'Nothing is known of the origin of this jack. // It is made of wrought iron, with wooden drums over which the weights run. The jack was fastened to the wall above the fireplace by four legs, which hold the apparatus at a distance of 11 inches from the wall. Weights attached to ropes or chains were wound round the wooden drums and as they ran down, the spindle which passes through the drums was turned. A spit may have been connected in some way either to this spindle or to the one above which is also turned by the same mechanism, as a cog wheel at the end of the drums connects with another cog wheel at the top. // The weights were wound up by an iron handle which turns the top spindle, and thus through the cogwheels, the bottom spindle and drums also. The handle could probably be connected to either end of the top spindle. There is a cog wheel at the other end, with a stop which could be fitted into one of the cogs, so that the jack would not turn when it was not wanted. // The wooden drums are divided into four sections by three iron discs. It is possible that the weight ran on only one of these sections, and that a rope ran over one of the other and turned a spit beneath. Several spits could be turned in this way, from the other sections of the drum. // The jack measures 18 inches in height, and is 16.5 inches across the frame. // See also 51/512 L.', No Lavinia Smith No. recorded.

Rippon, Miss Dorothy May Lyddon (Agent)