Author Topic: Have you seen such a thing?  (Read 973 times)

Offline belfordian

  • RootsChat Senior
  • ****
  • Posts: 276
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Have you seen such a thing?
« on: Sunday 25 June 17 16:00 BST (UK) »
Recently a member of our Family History Group which meets in Belford brought an intriguing item to show us. It is a small wooden item with a heart shape in the handle and with the initials A and D carved into it. It appears to be in the shape of a spade or shovel. It is beautifully varnished and in perfect condition despite being almost 140 years old. The photograph shows a £2 coin to indicate the actual size. 

It was made by Adam Dunbar for his wife-to-be Annie Balmer both born during the 1850’s. Family stories tell how he made it before they married and it was placed outside next to the front door of the house the couple intended to live in upon marriage. After this took place it was moved inside the house and hung beside the fireplace. It seems to be similar to a Welsh love spoon. Small wooden pieces like this are known as treen. Perhaps the spade/shovel represents Adam’s trade for he worked as a farm labourer, coal miner and general labourer until his death in 1913. His story is a familiar one to those of us with ancestors in North Northumberland. His parents moved around various farms in Adam’s life, but Adam and his wife were firmly settled in Lowick for all their married life. Farm work was poorly paid and many ag labs went on to become miners towards the end of the 19th century, often drifting towards the south of the county. Adam and Annie stayed put, however.
The item has passed down generations to our member who would love to know if this was once a traditional Northumbrian custom which died out. Was it a local custom, a family custom or simply the idea of a young man wanting to impress his sweetheart?
Has anyone seen anything similar in this part of the world?
Is there a local name for such a thing?
A mention on Social Media revealed another seen in a house in the Borders many years ago but no photograph is available.
We would love to hear from anyone with any more information.

GLASS (Northumberland, Fife, Roxburghshire)
DOCKWREY (South Shields)
REDPATH (Northumberland, Oklahoma)
SOUTHERN, SUTHREN, SITHERN (North Northumberland)
DARLING (Carham)

Offline Rosinish

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 14,239
  • PASSED & PAST
    • View Profile
Re: HAVE YOU SEEN SUCH A THING?
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 25 June 17 16:14 BST (UK) »
Related post redirected to here as image couldn't be uploaded there..

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=773831.msg6270638#msg6270638

Annie
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

"OLD GENEALOGISTS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR CENSUS"

Offline hepburn

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 4,595
    • View Profile
Re: HAVE YOU SEEN SUCH A THING?
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 25 June 17 17:43 BST (UK) »
Is it anything to with butter?A paddle maybe?
stoke on trent. carson,wain,leese,shaw,key,scalley,mitchell,<br />james,<br /> nottingham,pollard,grice,<br />derbyshire,vallands,turton,howe.<br /> new zealand,turton<br /> canada,carson.<br />australia,mitchell,scalley,<br />

Online emeltom

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,272
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: HAVE YOU SEEN SUCH A THING?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 25 June 17 18:54 BST (UK) »
Looks similar to a Welsh Love Spoon, often carved by the husband to be for his bride as a love token.

The Welsh ones definitely look like spoons - perhaps they were a bit more down to earth in the North East!

Emeltom
Smith Tiplady Boulton Branthwaite King Miller Woolfall Bretherton Archer and many more


Offline Gadget

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 57,131
    • View Profile
Re: HAVE YOU SEEN SUCH A THING?
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 25 June 17 19:51 BST (UK) »
It might be worth reading the libk that Annie posted:

Related post redirected to here as image couldn't be uploaded there..

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=773831.msg6270638#msg6270638

Annie

Otherwise, as Dawn said on there, 'We'll be going around in circles'

Census &  BMD information Crown Copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and GROS - www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

***Restorers - Please do not use my restores without my permission. Thanks***