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A shepherd uses their crook to catch sheep by the hind leg, or by the neck in the case of lambs. This crook has a wrought iron head and is of the type from Pyecombe, East Sussex, one of the three important centres for crook-making, although many crooks were made by local blacksmiths to local requirements. It was used by a shepherd in the East Hendred area and is carved with the initials ‘W.W.’ and ‘T.C.H.’

1 crook; metal (wrought iron); good condition

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'A shepherd uses his crook for catching sheep, usually by the hind leg, but occasionally, in the case of lambs, by the neck; this necessitates a crook with a very wide loop. Otherwise the opening in the crook head, the distance between the barrel and the guide (the long tongue with a curled end), should be just wide enough to slip round the leg without injuring it. Hill shepherds normally only use their crooks when the sheep are down in the folds as they are cumbersome for fell walking. // In the southern counties, on Down land, crook heads are usually made of metal. In the past, wrought iron heads were very common, and brass and gun metal were also used, the latter being in the form of a piece sawn from a gun-barrel. The design of these metal crooks varies from locality to another. The variation occurs in the design of the guide, and the curl at the end of it, and also in the width between the barrel and the tip of the guide. Three important centres for crook making were Pyecombe, Falmer and Kingston, all in Sussex, but many crooks were made by village blacksmiths according to individual requirements. The stick or handle is most often cut and fitted by the shepherd. It is ash or hazel, and less commonly, holly or cherrywood. // In other parts of the country, Wales and the Lake District, for instance, the whole crook is made of wood, the head and the handle being carved as one unit. // This is a crook head of the Pyecombe type, though it is not known whether it was actually made there. It is made of wrought iron and measures 9 inches in length, with 1.5 inches of the original wooden handle on the end. The distance between the barrel and the guide at the narrowest part is 1.65 inches. It was used by a shepherd in the neighbourhood of East Hendred (Berks) and is carved with the initials W.W. and T.C.H.', No Lavinia Smith No. recorded., Heritage of the Hendreds Exhibition 1969 - 'Catalogue of Exhibits // Number 337 // Shepherd's Crook // Lent by MERL Miss Smith c.' (This description could also be in reference to 51/575, 51/576, 51/574, 51/589, 51/588, 51/640 and 51/573), Heritage of the Hendreds Exhibition 1969 - 'Catalogue of Exhibits // Number 338 // Shepherd's Crook // Lent by MERL Miss Smith c.' (This description could also be in reference to 51/575, 51/576, 51/574, 51/589, 51/588, 51/640 and 51/573), Heritage of the Hendreds Exhibition 1969 - 'Catalogue of Exhibits // Number 339 // Shepherd's Crook // Lent by MERL Miss Smith c.' (This description could also be in reference to 51/575, 51/576, 51/574, 51/589, 51/588, 51/640 and 51/573), Heritage of the Hendreds Exhibition 1969 - 'Catalogue of Exhibits // Number 370 // Shepherd's Crook // Lent by MERL Miss Smith c.' (This description could also be in reference to 51/575, 51/576, 51/574, 51/589, 51/588, 51/640 and 51/573), The description of this crook previously used the phrasing of the index card: "A shepherd uses his crook for catching sheep". The word "his" has been amended to a gender neutral term. [Added by Tim Jerrome for the Further Afield project, 2024]

Rippon, Miss Dorothy May Lyddon (Agent)