63/602

Quarter cran herring basket,

Stanley Bird (Manufacturer)

This quarter cran herring basket was made by Stanley Bird, a basketmaker from Great Yarmouth, for the Museum. The quarter cran was the only official Government measure for a fish basket in England and had to conform to an exact specification of 36.2 x 43.8 x 36.2 cm (height x top diameter x bottom diameter), and being accurate to fourteen dimensions. The side stakes had to be less than the width of a thumb apart, as this was the estimated width of a herring. It is a strong round basket made of white willow, cane and chestnut, with two roped cane handles. It is marked with the maker’s name and the government brand.

1 basket: white willow; chestnut; cane

MERL ‘Stakeholders’ recording form, December 2013 – Object number: 63/602 // Name of recorder: Karen Lawrence and Annemarie O’Sullivan // General construction method: – // Overall shape: – Materials: – // Base: 3#4 underfoot base. 13 base sticks (one stick used as weaver). Slath tied in 3 rounds. 2 extra base sticks added per stick – slyped – these are turned up to form the side stakes. 4 rows of pairing – 18 cm in total. Then a space, and then 2 rows of pairing with cane. // Sides: 6 pieces of split chestnut 2.5cm in width. 2 more pieces of wood (possibly chestnut) with bark on centred under handles in sides – these have stamp on them showing date, company, location. 44 stakes and bye-stakes. 3-rod wale in cane for 2 rows. Changes to willow wale for rows – 6 complete sets of rods chasing. Height to first fitching (cane) 21cm. Height to second fitching (cane) 30cm. 1 row of paring over 2 (cane). Then bye-stakes (chestnut) chopped off. 2 rows of waling with very heavy material. // Border: 7 rod behind 2, crammed off at ends. // Handles: Made in cane – one piece. // Dimensions: Diameter of base 37cm. Diameter of top 57cm. Height 41cm. 14 measures required in construction to make it a legal measure. // Anything else to note about this particular basket: – // Anything else to note about this type of basket: –, An order of 12 baskets from Stanley Bird (Basketware) Ltd. to Dorothy Wright, care of the Keeper at MERL. According to the delivery note, the order consisted of: 1 quarter cran; 1 small cran; 1 eighth cran; 1 oblong Hull lander; 1 oval Aberdeen lander; 1 liver basket; 1 ice basket; 1 trawl basket; 1 cobbing basket; 1 kipper basket; 1 wash basket; 1 eel pot., Stanley Bird (Basketware) Ltd. label: F.H.2. Quarter cran herring basket (Examined and Marked By H.M.Weights & Measures Inspector), MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: QUARTER-CRAN HERRING BASKET (S. Bird [Stanley Bird])* // Acc. No.: 63/602 // Group: FISHING. SEA. // Neg. no.: 60/5238 // Place of origin: Great Yarmouth // Period in use: Present // DESCRIPTION // Materials: White Willow, cane & hazel // Shape and construction: A strong round basket. A Government measure made to a tolerance of 1/4”. It has 2 fitches, 7 rounds of upsetting, 20 stakes & 20 bi-stakes & 6 leagues.* Border 6-behind-2. 8 wooden slats in the side, & one has the government brand: A crown, YH 1963. & the name Stanley Bird (Basketware) Ltd. Gt. Yarmouth. marked by H.M. Inspector of Weights & Measures. // Dimensions: Diam: bottom: 14 1/4” Diam. top: 17 1/4” Height: 14 1/4” // Use: Get from notes. A measure for herring. // outside meas. – 40 x 56 x 41 cm (height x diam. at top x diam. at bottom) // Dialect names: or MAUND // Distribution: General // Additional notes: see S & Pr. 1956. p.66 // Series of photographs of making see S.B.1–8 // *The stakes are set less than the width of a thumb apart – the estimated thickness of a herring.'

Great Yarmouth

1963 - 1963

Wood, willow, Wood, chestnut, Plant fibre, rattan

Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)
Lawrence, Karen (Recorder)
O'Sullivan, Annemarie (Recorder)