Object number
63/488
Collection
Description
A caulking iron is used to drive threads of oakum into the seams between the planks of a boat, which are then filled with pitch, to make the boat watertight. This caulking iron is a 'bent iron'. It has curved blade and is used for caulking in places which cannot be reached with a normal iron. It belonged to a former employee of the Bushell Brothers, Charlie and Joseph, who ran a canal boat building and repair business at Gannel in New Mill, Tring, on the Wendover Arm Canal, until their retirement in 1952. They also did general coach-building.
Archival history
MERL Miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 1 March 2013 – The Bushell Brothers, Charlie and Joseph, ran a canal boat building and repair business at Gannel in New Mill, Tring, on the Wendover Arm Canal. The business was founded by their father, Joseph Bushell Senior, in 1875. They took over its running in 1912, and the business closed in 1952 when they retired. This Collection comprises tools and other objects used at Bushell Brothers, as well as other various old tools that one of the Bushell brothers, who was always interested in rural crafts, collected druing his retirement. The majority of the Collection was donated by the daugther of one of the Bushell brothers, while other items were donated by a former employee.
Object name
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_8608.tif - High resolution image
