66/50/2

A bodkin is a tool used by basketmakers for a variety of jobs, from opening out the weave to insert a rod or handle, to putting stakes in at the bottom, and therefore come in a many different sizes according to the work, the thickness of the material and the size of the basket. This bodkin consists of a sharply pointed steel spike with a wooden handle. It was given to the Museum by Emily Mullins, a Reading basketmaker.

1 bodkin: metal, wood

Miss Emily E. Mullins (1906–1967) was a basketmaker in Reading. Her family were basketmakers for at least five generations. Her father, William Mullins, had no sons and Emily chose to become a basketmaker and carry on the tradition. She ran a basketmaking business in Bath circa 1926–1939, and moved to London in 1940 where she made baskets for the war effort. Later, she moved to Reading where she took over her father’s job on his death at Cook’s Dairy and Farm Equipment Ltd., a basketmaking firm founded in 1760 by John Cook. Cook’s had premises at Market Place, Reading, and the workshop was at Silver Street, Reading. The Museum has an extensive collection of baskets and basketmaking tools (approximately 200) given to the Museum by Emily Mullins. No correspondence between the Museum and Emily Mullins was found in July 2012, and it is assumed from scraps of information (e.g. a note on the Adlib record for 63/61 which said that the 63/ baskets were made by Emily Mullins for the Museum and were therefore never used, and a note on the Adlib record for 64/147 which said that Emily Mullins made numerous baskets for the Museum in 1964) that the baskets were made by Emily Mullins at Cook’s Silver Street workshop and the tools were used by Emily Mullins at the same workshop., MERL miscellaneous note - this bodkin is one of a group of nine (66/50/1-9) and appears to be that shown in the first drawing on the second page of sketches., MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: BODKIN // Acc. No.: 66/50/1–9 // Group: CRAFTS WOOD BASKETS // Neg. no.: 60/8985 // Place of origin: Berkshire // Period in use: pre-1965 // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Steel, iron, wood, hide. // Shape and construction: A sharp steel spike set most frequently in a wooden handle, length & thickness vary greatly. // Dimensions: Shortest spike 2 1/2” long. Longest 8 3/4” Thickest is 2” round at widest part. // Use: For a variety of jobs from opening out the weave to insert a rod or handle to putting stakes in a bottom, & so comes in many sizes according to the work, the thickness of the material & the size of the basket. Preferences are personal as may be seen from the handles, wood, hide, metal. // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes:'

1965

Metal, Wood

Cook's Dairy and Farm Equipment Ltd. ()
Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)