Object number
98/41
Description
This is a small coopered churn made of wood with four metal bands and bent wood collar. The round lid has a collar which is damaged. The plunger is consisting of smooth handle and wooden plate at the end of which has three grooves and three holes in it.
Physical description
1 churn [with lid and plunger]: wood; small
Label Text
<DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN>4.<B>Plunger butter churn</B><P>The upright, plunger butter churn is the oldest type and known to date back to at least the sixteenth century. It was normally of coopered construction, rather like a barrel, and tapered towards the top. It had to be well made so that it didn't leak and there were no rough parts inside where stale cream could lodge and taint the butter. Cream was agitated inside the churn to form butter by means of a plunger that could be moved up and down through a hole in the lid. On the end of the plunger was a perforated wooden disk that assisted the process. This example dates from the early nineteenth century and originates from Wiltshire.<BR> 98/41</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV><DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN>4.<B>Plunger butter churn</B> <P>The upright, plunger butter churn is the oldest type and known to date back to at least the sixteenth century. It was normally of coopered construction, rather like a barrel, and tapered towards the top. It had to be well made so that it didn't leak and there were no rough parts inside where stale cream could lodge and taint the butter. Cream was agitated inside the churn to form butter by means of a plunger that could be moved up and down through a hole in the lid. On the end of the plunger was a perforated wooden disk that assisted the process.</P> <P>The internal parts were known as the dash (from a dialect word meaning to shake) and hence these plunger churns were often known as dash churns. This example dates from the early nineteenth century and originates from Wiltshire.<BR> 98/41</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV>
Archival history
MERL Miscellaneous note-Georgia Charitou-10 November 2014- This churn belonged to the donor's father. He farmed at Dyrham, Wiltshire, and the churn formed part of a collection of old agricultural material.
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