51/79

This keg is made of seventeen oak slates held together by four iron hoops and holds half a gallon of liquor. The keg has a leather thong for carrying. It was owned by Henry Warren of Finchingfield in Essex.

1 keg: wood [uncoloured oak], metal [iron] and leather; good condition

Citation in publication [H. J. Massingham, 'Country Relics' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1939)] –'These "costrels", "kegs", or "harvest bottles", as they are variously called, were either of leather, the older type, with a leather handleor an oak barrel with iron hoops made by the cooper. The later varied in capacity from half a pint to a gallon, and I have two of them in the Hermitage. Some were painted blue and still more were incised with the initials of their owners. The older keg came from Woodmancote in the Vale of Gloucester and the farm of Mr John Denley, who still uses his cider-mill and press every October, regardless of the "scratter", a trumpery machine which, failing to crush the kernels, sacrifices the flavour. The end grooves are lined with reed to prevent the "scrumpy" (cider) from leaking. My other keg holds little more than half a gallon of its sister-bottle, loops are differently fitted and the handle is of leather instead of iron. It came from Finchingfield in Essex and was given me by Mr Henry Warren.' (p.120) [see also 51/78], MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/79 // NAME: CIDER KEG // NEG NO.: 35/178 // STORAGE: '

Wood, oak, Metal, iron, Leather