Object number
60/32
Title
Gornall Patent Cheese Maker,
Creator
Description
This cheese vat, patented in 1892 as the ‘Gornall Patent Cheesemaker’, was used for making Lancashire cheese. There is an embossed iron plate above the handle which reads ‘J. Gornall No 13671 Patent Cheese Maker’. It consists of a cylindrical vat with a perforated lid, which is suspened by means of iron rods in a four-wheeled trolley which supports the vat an enables it to be moved easily from place to place. After letting the curd settle in the vat, the cylinder would be turned to drain out the excess whey. The vat was used by the donor at Plankton Farm in Hambleton, Lancashire.
Physical description
1 Gornall cheese vat: metal (tinned); wood (soft); good conditionInscription on vat: 'J. Gornalls Patent Cheese Maker No. 13671'
Label Text
<DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN>3. <B>J. Gornall's Patent Cheese Maker No.13671</B><P>This cheese maker, a more elaborate piece of equipment than that used by Mrs Ettey, was used in the production of Lancashire cheese and came from Plankton Farm, Hambleton, Lancashire. It is an example of the cheese maker patented by Joseph Gornall during the late-nineteenth century.<P>During the 1890s and early 1900s Joseph Gornall was employed by Lancashire County Council to give instruction in cheese making to the farmhouse producers of the county. He advised the producers of the importance of keeping detailed records regarding all stages of cheese production so that they might have a better knowledge of how their best cheeses had been made. An ironmonger working in Gornall's home town of Garstang manufactured the cheese makers which were sold around the county by appointed agents. The cheese maker was available in various sizes, with capacities ranging from the smallest at 50 gallons (227 litres), which cost nine pounds five shillings (£9.25), to the largest at 90 gallons (409 litres) which cost eleven pounds five shillings (£11.25). Larger versions were also available on request. The cheese maker proved successful and was awarded medals at dairy shows during the early 1890s; in the early 1900s the following was said of it:<P>'This Cheese-maker is now used in most of the Leading Lancashire Dairies, and most of the Prize Cheese at the County and other Local Shows were made with them.'<P>60/32</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV>
Archival history
Lancashire Lantern – ‘Lancashire Pioneers // Joseph Gornall - Lancashire's "Mr Cheese"// Joseph made quality cheese and in 1892 patented the "Gornall Patent Cheesemaker". // His aim in designing a new cheesemaker, as the patent explains, was to reduce the amount of labour needed when draining the whey from the curd. // He describes its use in “Lancashire Cheese-Making”: // “After letting the curd settle, fasten the cloth over the opening, and put on the perforated lid. Having taken all the water from the cistern, turn the cylinder gradually till the lid is underneath the curd….After being turned down one side, turn back and down the other side…The curd should then be sufficiently dry to cut into blocks, and be lifted out with the hands into the drainer". // It was a successful design, and was used by many of Lancashire's cheesemakers. The most popular model was the fifty gallon edition which cost £9.5s in 1903, although cheesemakers with a capacity of up to 90 gallons were also available. // Despite the number of “Gornall's Patent Cheesemaker's” in use during the first half of the twentieth century only a very few have survived. Joseph also designed and sold various cheese making tools including curd knives and cheese moulds, the tinwork being made by Singletons of Garstang. // Joseph encouraged farmers to keep detailed records “especially the temperature of the dairy and the milk at night, and the night's milk in the morning” which had an important influence on the quality and nature of the milk and thus the cheese produced.’ (http://www.lancashirepioneers.com/gornall/cheese.asp), MERL ‘History Artefacts’ card – ‘Description: The vat is more or less cylindrical and has a large perforated lid which closes by means of wire catches. The vat is suspended by means of iron rods in the trolley. At one end is an iron handle with wooden end to rotate the vat. There are two catches which can be locked onto a cog to keep the vat upright when necessary. // The trolley supports and transports the vat. It has wooden ends lined with metal and the rest is metal except for the two wooden side pieces which are extended to form handles and the wooden base, to which are fixed the four iron supports and four wheel with two axels. These enable the whole unit to be moved easily from place to place. There is a brass drainage tap below the handle to enable the trolley to be emptied. // Use: For making Lancashire cheese.’
Production place
Garstang
Production date
1875-01-01 - 1899-12-31
Production period
Late-nineteenth century
Object name
Material
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_3416.tif - High resolution image