51/247/1-6

These six trolley bobbins came from a lacemaker in Ickford, Buckinghamshire. They are made of wood encircled with pewter rings called ‘gingles’, and three of the bobbins have spangles (glass beads or ornaments attached to the bottom of the bobbin to provide additional weight). Trolly bobbins are larger bobbins onto which the ‘gimp’, a coarser thread which outlines the design of the lace, was wound.

6 bobbins: wood & pewter & beads

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'Mr. Massingham obtained these bobbins from a lacemaker of Ickford (South Bucks.) They are made of wood, encircled by loose pewter rings, and are called TROLLIES. The GIMP or coarser thread which outlines the pattern in the lace was wound onto the trollies and two such bobbins were used on every pillow. The pewter rings are called GINGLES. The trollies used in Huntingdonshire were called BEDFORDSHIRE TRAILERS. See also 51/238M.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/247 // NAME: 6 LACEMAKER'S BOBBINS // NEG NO.: 35/1284 // STORAGE: ', Visiting researcher note, Ann Dismukes (lacemaker), 1 October 2014 – Very large; all wood with pewter bands; two with one band, two with two bands (although both would originally have had three) (one has spangles); two with six bands (but one is missing one of the bands) (both have spangles); one has thicker thread than the others which implies it would have been used for a gimp.

Wood, Metal, pewter