71/136

An auger is a boring tool used in a variety of woodworking trades to bore long deep holes. This is a taper auger, shaped like a tapered conical half-funnel and used to enlarge an existing hole by side paring. The shank is fixed to the horizontal wooden handle by means of a nut, and the handle is marked 'H. J. Scull'. The auger is part of the Reeves Collection which was donated by R. & J. Reeves and Son Ltd., agricultural machinery manufacturers of Bratton Iron Works, Wiltshire.

1 auger: metal, wood

MERL Miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 10 March 2014 – The Reeves Collection was donated by R. & J. Reeves and Son Ltd. of Bratton Iron Works near Westbury, Wiltshire. The firm, which manufactured agricultural machinery, was well-established by 1849, and went into final receivership in 1970, when the Collection was donated to MERL. Bratton Iron Works was demolished in 1973. A detailed list of all of the objects in the Collection can be found in the accession file for 70/235. Records relating to the firm can be found in the MERL Archives, reference TR REE., MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: TAPERED AUGER // Accession number: 71/136 // … // Recorder: JMB // Date: New sheet 26.11.87 // Description: A tapered auger with horizontal wooden handle. Fixed to the handle with a nut at the top. // Inscription: H. J. SCULL on handle. // Dimensions: Auger tapers from 5.0 cm to 2.0 cm and is 25.0 cm long // Length: 40.0 cm // Length of handle: 31.0 cm’, Reeves Collection Object List (accession file 70/235) – ‘Accn. No.: 71/136 // Classification: CRAFTS // Description: Auger. Iron, scrap, tapering blade, fixed through a horizontal wooden handle, with nut at top.’

Metal, Wood