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Encyclopaedia of the North East

S - Spear to Spinning wheel

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A large ornate printed capital letter S with spinning frames and spear heads.

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spear n 
A weapon consisting of a point mounted on a shaft.

Spearhead. A bronze socketed spearhead about six inches long. The point is large and wide, taking up half the length. There is a small loop on either side of the socket.

Bronze looped spearhead, Dyke, Moray (1800-1000BC).

ABDUA:19676

Pike head. A large flat iron point with two curved points projecting from the bottom, on a wide iron socket.

Iron pike head, Inverness (c17th cent.)

ABDUA:15076

Spearhead. A large iron spearhead almost a foot and a half long. The blade is an elongated diamond shape and it has a tapered socket taking up about a third of the length.

Iron spearhead, or pike-head, Aberdeenshire (17th cent.)

ABDUA:15080

Projectile point. A small pointed piece of black, lumpy corroded iron, about two inches long.

Iron projectile point, from the gatehouse of Coull Castle, Aberdeenshire (13th cent.)

ABDUA:14020

Spearhead. A bronze socketed spearhead about five inches long. The point is quite small, most of the length being taken up by the socket. There is a small loop on either side of the socket.

Bronze spearhead, found in a bog, New Pitsligo (1800-1000BC).

ABDUA:19675

Spearhead. A large bronze socketed spearhead over a foot long. The blade is shaped like a long pointed leaf and is broken near the tip, revealing the socket which runs almost the length of the blade. The blade is also broken near the socket at the bottom, showing a length of wood inside.

Bronze spearhead, thrown into Loch Kinnord, Dinnet, in antiquity (1800-1000BC).

ABDUA:19672

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spinning wheel n 
A machine for spinning yarn, a wheel driven by a treadle or the hand which turns one or two spindles. 

Some years ago linen yarn was manufactured to a considerable extent... giving employment to a number of flax dressers, and industrious female spinners throughout the country. A good spinner, when sitting steadily at her wheel, could earn with ease 6d or 8d a day. Now 1d or 2d can with difficulty be made out for the same quantity and quality of thread.
Rev James Cruickshank 1842, Turriff

Jack reel. Wooden apparatus about a metre tall, consisting of a tray on three legs and a central column with metal gears. A large knob, from which project six long rods with handles at the end, is at the top of the column connected to the gears.

'Jack Reel', for winding prepared yarn. Made by John Sangster, woodturner, and used at Old House of Skellater, Corgarff (early 19th cent.)

ABDUA:18889

Spinning wheel. A wooden apparatus almost a metre tall, consisting of a frame with a pedal at the bottom, a large wheel with decoratively turned spokes, and a device at the top with a spindle and small metal hooks.

'Cocked up' spinning wheel, Corgarff (early 19th cent.)

ABDUA:36863

Sweir kitty. A wooden apparatus about a foot wide consisting of turned wooden rods. The base has two rods in a T shape, from the opposite ends of which project two more rods perpendicularly. Between these rods is a metal rod on to which is threaded two wooden spindles.

'Sweir Kitty', device for using several bobbins of yarn simultaneously, Aberdeenshire (early 19th cent.)

ABDUA:18861

Distaff and spindle. A wooden staff almost a metre long. Hanging from the staff by a length of string is a small wooden rod with a fat stone ring on it.

Distaff and spindle, Inchmarnoch, Glenmuick (late 18th cent.)

ABDUA:18859

Heckle. A large square wooden comb with a handle and iron pins pointing up from the body.

Heckle for initial preparation of wool for spinning, Aberdeenshire (19th cent.)

ABDUA:18854

Carding combs. Two large rectangular wooden combs with handles. A large number of small iron pins, bent slightly in the middle, project from the bodies of the combs.

Carding combs for preparing wool for spinning, Aberdeenshire (19th cent.)

ABDUA:18887

Dye bath paddle. A large flat piece of iron shaped like a bowtie, with a thin handle projecting from the centre.

Paddle for dye bath, Garlogie Mills, Skene (early 19th cent.)

ABDUA:18569

S - Spear to Spinning wheel