Object number
52/102
Title
Wiltshire plough,
Description
This is a Wiltshire plough. It has a wooden mouldboard, asymetric handles, and an iron ploughshare. It was previously on loan to the Science Museum in London, but little else is known of its origins or place of use.
Physical description
1 plough: wood; iron; traces of blue paint; fair condition
Archival history
MERL miscellaneous note – This plough was used in a live demonstration of horse ploughing during the World Ploughing Championships in Shillingford, Oxfordshire, in 1956. The Museum of English Rural Life mounted an exhibition in a marquee at this event, which was largely concerned with tractor ploughing. Museum staff organised for a Mr Nelson Tamblin—a champion ploughman from Liskeard in Cornwall—to demonstrate how the plough would have been used. There is a photograph in the Museum’s own archive of him ploughing with this plough at the Shillingford event (60 Series 60/1475). The late Mr Tamblin’s first name was confirmed to have been Nelson during telephone conversations between his great nephew (Rob Tamblin) and nephew (Roger Tamblin) and Ollie Douglas in May 2015. They also confirmed that he was a celebrated ploughman who won many contests. Nelson Tamblin’s father purchased West Tuelmenna Farm, Liskeard, in 1921 and the family moved in the following year. Nelson Tamblin later farmed this same land.
Object name
Material
Dimensions
- Length 3590 mm
- Length 620 mm
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_459.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_463.tif - High resolution image
