51/590

This bull pole, or ‘bull leader’, would be clipped through the nose ring of a bull so that it could be led around with a strong hold at a safe distance. It has a rough wooden handle, cut from a branch, and an iron head. Nothing is known of its origins.

1 bull leader: wood, metal

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This pole was used to lead bulls about, making use of the rings through their noses. By fixing the end of the pole through the ring, the bull could be held firmly at a safe distance. // This pole consists of a rough wooden handle, measuring 6 feel in length, which has been cut from a branch, and an iron head culminating in a hook like a corkscrew, with two loops. The head measures 9 inches in length. // See also 51/145M.', Recorded on MERL 'Catalogue index' card as Lavinia Smith No. 23, although this is listed in Lavinia Smith file as 'one dipper'.

Wood, Metal

Rippon, Miss Dorothy May Lyddon (Agent)