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H. Rackham (Manufacturer)

DEACCESSIONED. Please note that this object no longer forms part of the Museum of English Rural Life collection and cannot be accessed at our institution. This winnowing machine was used on Bryers Farm, Hawstead, Suffolk. It is thought to date from c. 1800 and was used by the donor's father, himself and his brother, for winnowing corn and clover-seed. The donor thought it to be a forerunner of the Dressing Machine, and said that he had never seen another one like it. The maker's name, 'H. RACKHAM // BURY ST EDMUNDS' is faintly discernible on the back. The flywheel, for balance, is not completely circular and was probably home made.

1 winnowing machine: wood and metal; good condition

MERL ‘Associated information’ form – '[pencil sketch] // 130 x 130cm (height x length) // 62cm (width of drum) // Name of object // ["BLOWER" scored through] [insert] Winnowing machine [end insert] // Date about 150 years old // Age. see above // Who made it and where? H. RACKHAM. // BURY ST. EDMUNDS // Who used it and where? My father WILLOUGHBY WRIGHT (deceased) and myself at BRYERS FARM. HAWSTEAD. NR BURY ST EDMUNDS. Suffolk // How was it used (if not obvious) A winnowing machine for corn and clover-seed. It is a forerunner of the Dressing machine and in a long experience I have never seen one quite like this one. // Any other information. Maker's name and number still faintly discernible on back. A very nice "flywheel" for balance is obviously hand made and not completely circular. To my mind this dates it. // ... Is it in good condition? Yes, considering its age, and it WORKS well.', Letter, Major Rev. P. A. Wright to J. W. Higgs, 10th September 1955 - 'My brother still farms the family farm at Hawstead near Bury St Edmunds. I had not been there for some time till the other day, and noticed something which might be of interest to you. // It is a BLOWER forerunner of the Dressing machine, of similar shape but having no arrangement of sieves at all, merely to winnow stuff. I regularly used this machine, and my father and brother were using it until about 5 or 6 years ago. It is very old indeed... My father used to reckon it to be nearly 100 years old several years ago [insert] (40 yrs ago) [end insert]. Painted on the back (very faint now) is the maker's name H. RACKHAM. BURY, MERL miscellaneous note - This machine was deaccessioned in December 2016 becasue it was extremely fragile and in a very poor state. It was similar to other items in the collection and was not of interest to other comparable collections. As such it was disposed of rather than transferred. [Ollie Douglas]

Bury Saint Edmunds

1800-01-01 - 1824-12-31

Early-nineteenth century

Wood, Metal