2008/1

Mill to take mice,

David Drummond (Maker)

This is a replica, made by the donor, of a medieval mouse trap as illustrated in a 1590 book by Leonard Mascall on vermin traps. It is described as a 'mill to take mice' and consists of a wooden block with a protruding dowel to which four wooden sails are attached.

replica; made of wood; good condition

See Figure 1a, p.8, in 'British Mouse Traps and their Makers' by David Drummond, 2008. This is a replica device based on Leonard Mascall's book of 1590 'A Booke of Engines and traps to take Polcats, Buzardes, Rattes, Mice and all other kindes of Vermin'., The 83 mouse traps and 2 mole traps in this collection were acquired by David Drummond during the course of his research into the history of mouse traps. David Drummond is a zoologist who spent much of his professional life in advice and research on the control of rodents. Since retiring as the Ministry of Agriculture’s Chief Scientific Officer in charge of the Central Science Laboratories concerned with Plant Pests and Diseases in 1988, he has published many articles and books about mouse traps, their inventors and manufacturers, including ‘British Mouse Traps and their Makers’ (Mouse Trap Books, Dorking 2008). For further information, see http://www.mousetrapbooks.com.

1950 - 2008