Object number
51/1221/1-2
Description
A crusie is a simple form of oil lamp that was used in the western coastal regions of the British Isles, including Cornwall, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and the Western Islands. This crusie originated in Scotland. It is made of wrought iron and was designed for a single wick. It consists of two lipped bowls: the top one, containing the oil, would be suspended from a notched rack so that it can be tipped forward when the oil supply is low, and the bottom bowl would hold the oil which trickled over the top lip. It has a hook from which it could be hung.
Physical description
1 crusie: metal (wrought iron); good condition
Archival history
Object research project, Jim Felix, February 2019 – ‘Crusie’s were commonly used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and are similar to those oil lamps used by the Greeks, Romans and Assyrians. In the Shetland Isles, Crusie’s are known as a Collie, in Cornwall they are referred to as a Chill, and in the Channel Islands a Cresset. Oil lamps, similar in style to this one were also used on the Continent where the name was believed to be Bette. Crusie’s were most commonly found in coastal regions of the British Isles, such as the Shetlands and Cornwall. They could most commonly be found in poorer households for whom candles were unaffordable, using fish oil and wicks made of pith, moss, or hemp. The hook would allow it to be hung from the Ceiling. Some Crusie’s have a spike at the back, allowing it to be fixed to the wall. Oil and a wick were put into the top bowl and when lit, gave a flame similar to that of a candle. The most commonly used oils were fish oil, obtained from cod, hake, ling or herring. Wicks were made from whatever was available and free. Natural substances including pith, moss, hemp, cotton, and bits of rope was collected and stored, ready to be used when needed. Being made of metal, Crusie’s were durable and would last for generations, with occasional repair required. Fish oil and natural plant-based wicks were free and could be acquired easily with by those with little money. The small coastal regions and communities of the British Isles were often inhabited by less wealthy communities, therefore candles, which required tallow and a formed wick, were an expensive and inaccessible option. Crusie’s were very popular amongst folklorist collectors, especially during the 19th, and early 20th century. Lighting implements such as these were seen to encompass European folk culture, providing a parallel between what the collectors saw as the technologically ‘simple’ and ‘uncivilised’ cultures of the past, based in superstition and a primitive lifestyle, and the ‘complex’ and ‘civilised’ societies of the 19th and 20th centuries, with more rational and developed ways of thinking and living. These views are of course outdated now, but these items provide an interesting perspective on the differing meanings of ‘folk’, and how our views of historic items such as the Crusie, those who used them, and those who still use them today, have changed in a very short period of time.'
, MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This crusie comes from Scotland and is made of wrought iron. It is intended for one wick. There is a hook by which it can be suspended. The handle of the top bowl is decorated above the ratchet opening with a double scroll. // It measures 11 inches in height. // See also 51/1174/1-2', MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 51/1174/1-2 – 'The crusie is a primitive form of oil lamp, used in the remoter parts of Scotland, in the Shetlands where it is called a COLLIE, in Cornwall where it is a called a CHILL, and the Channel Islands where it is called a CRESSET. It consists of two open iron bowls. The top bowl contains the oil and is suspended from the notched rack, so that it can be tilted forward as the oil diminishes. The bottom bowl holds the oil that trickles over the top lip. The lamps were most often made of iron, and the bowls hammered out and shaped on discs. Some cruises are made to burn more than one wick. // The hook and spike at the back of the lamp enables it to be either stuck in the wall or suspended from the ceiling. Stands are sometimes provided, so that they can be used as table lamps. // Fish oil, obtained from cod, hake, ling or herring, is usually burnt in these lamps/ the wicks are of pith, moss, hemp or cotton. The smell was very strong, so that their use was mainly in smaller farmhouses and poor cottages., Victoria & Albert Museum No. M252, 1925.
Production date
1800-01-01 - 1899-12-31
Production period
Nineteenth century
Object name
Material
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\35 series negatives\Scans\35_727.tif - High resolution image