88/33

This is a bent, forked tool used for pulling sinews from legs when dressing poultry. It is part of the Lucas Collection donated by Mr H. B. Lucas, a farmer and dairyman.

1 sinew puller: metal; good condition

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: SINEW PULLER // Accession number: 88/33 // Classification: LIVESTOCK Poultry // Negative number: 60/15479 // Acquisition method: GIFT // Acquired from, date: H. B. LUCAS, [...], 10 June 1988 // Store: small object // Condition: good // Recorder, date: JMB 3.3.89 // Description: A fork shaped steel tool with two screw holes for fixing to a work surface. // Dimensions: Length: 12.0cm Length of fork: 7.0cm // Width: 2.5cm Fork: 5.0cm // Associated information: Used for pulling sinews from legs when dressing poultry. // References:', MERL Miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 19 February 2014 – The Lucas Collection contains objects (88/23–88/43) and documents (D90/8/1–21) donated by Mr H. B. Lucas, a farmer and dairyman. Mr Lucas kept chickens, cows and pigs on his smallholding in Whitley Wood Road, Reading, and retired in 1971. The Lucas family farmed in a small way at Lane End Farm in Shinfield, Reading, from the end of the nineteenth century. Mr Lucas’ grandfather built Lane End House, and brought threshing machines to Berkshire, and his uncle was a threshing tackle contractor with premises opposite the farm. The objects in the Collection were used by Mr Lucas on his smallholding and in conjunction with his dairy business. The documents (now in the MERL Archives) consist of show catalogues for poultry and fancier's associations, prize certificates for eggs and poultry, record cards for egg production and newspaper cuttings about shows.