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This sickle, used for manually cutting corn, is thought to date from about 1820. It was found hanging up in an outhouse at Langdon Hills, near Romford, Essex, where it had been since 1868. It was formerly part of the collections at the Science Museum.

1 sickle: metal; wood

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – ‘… // DATE ACQUIRED: // GROUP: // NEGATIVE: // PERIOD: // PLACE OF ORIGIN: // NUMBER: // DESCRIPTION: …‘ This sickle was presented to the Science Museum by C.Garrad, Esq., in 1911. It had been hanging up in an outhouse at Langdon Hills near Romford, Essex since 1868, and was thought to date from about 1820. // The blade has a serrated edge and is 23.8 inches long. The handle is turned and has a pair of grooves near either end. The inner side of the handle near the blade has been eaten away by woodworn. It measures 5.6 inches in length. // See also 51/59 M. // Science Museum Nos: 15207 Inv. 1911-131. // Recleaned 30.8.54 //, MERL miscellaneous note - 'M. 3909 Recd. 191 // OLD SICKLE // Presented by // C. Garrad, Esq. // The use, for cutting standing corn, of the curved knife known as a reaping hook or sickle is depicted on the earliest monuments. It is used with the right hand while the corn being cut is supported by the left. The importance of the sickle declined as that of the scythe increased and ceased altogether with the advent, about the middle of the 19th century, of the modern reaping machine. // The example shown is of early 19th century date and came from Romford, Essex; it has a narrow blade, the upper surface of which has serrations inclined towards the handle giving the edge a notched outline. // The modern sickle has a wider blade than its prototype whilst it has a plain knife edge. //

1820 - 1820

Wood, Metal