Inventarnummer
64/28
Beschreibung
This is a crook or 'leg cleek', a shepherding tool for handling sheep. It is of the Welsh border type, and came from Clifford, Herefordshire. Such leg cleeks were made by local blacksmiths copying a basic shape but adding individual design elements. The head is made of iron, and the handle is ash wood.
Physische Beschaffenheit
1 crook: wood (ash); metal (iron); good condition
Bestandsgeschichte
MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'CROOK // Period // 20th century // Description // Welsh border type from Clifford, Herefordshire. 5' 3 1/2" long // Properly speaking, these are all leg cleeks rather than shepherds crooks. Made by local blacksmiths copying basic shape (e.g. the throat had a a gap of 1 old penny width) but with individual design elements.', MERL 'Handwritten catalogue' form – '[pencil sketch] // Ash handle // Iron // Welsh border type from Clifford, Herefordshire. // See H.R.R.'s notes.', MERL miscellaneous note [H. Rhys Rankin] – ‘A short digest on Crooks (with no apologies to the Governor of Reading Gaol) // Herewith are two exhibits A + B. // The crook was a very early “weapon of business” of British shepherds e.g. The Bishops Crook, showed how early + important were shepherds in British life. As early as 1180 A.D. Strata Florida Cistercian Abbey in Co. Cardigan carved the lintels of its main doorway in the form of several linked shepherds crooks. // Even tho some mediaeval English crooks were not used for catching sheep but for digging up divots of turf which were whirled at the sheep, to keep them from straying, at any rate by 1600 all areas used crooks for the purpose of catching hold of the animal, but early ones would have been of wood (as is still so in Scotland) // Catching is a very skilled matter as hind leg may easily be broken or dislocated [?] care must be used + a direct pull + then upward lift and never sideways! // (Scotch shepherds always used large wooden crook + used today a neck grip – much easier + much safer + simpler technique). // Since 1935 crooks rarely used in England + Wales – merely a walking stick on the [?] // But exhibition A is a typical Welsh Border one, used all over Borders + as far as Kerry (MONT) until 1935. (Note a useful walking stick also + a very big cumbersome object!) 64/28 // Exhibit B is typical Herefordshire one e.g. much smaller, shorter + lighter. From Winforton, Herefordshire. // Wood was of ash. Head of local blacksmiths iron – never steel. 64/29 // Handles sometimes broke but head lasted for ever. // H. Rhys Rankin… Ex President + Ex Judge Clun Forest Sheep Breeders Asson.’
Datum
1900 - 1964
Objektbezeichnung
Material
Format
- Length 1622 mm
- Width 140 mm
Digitales Dokument
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_5791.tif - High resolution image