Mending an Iron Foot!

[odbsmith]

i found a curiosity in a newspaper article.
It referred  to a Church register of accounts  (1774)  and there are 2 items connected to my person of interest.

Mending Sarah Hudman's iron foot    1 shilling and 3 pence

Sarah Hudman - new leg         9 pence

      Trying to imagine  the Iron foot! Does anyone have any medical history interests?
      ( i assume a new leg would be  a wooden leg)

[Top-of-the-hill]

  My first thought was that the iron foot was the strange shaped object used in shoe repairing, but combined with the new leg, I am not sure!

[Maiden Stone]

I can't help.
 However, it reminds me of an uncommon entry in a burial register - the leg of N.N.  I don't know if the leg's burial happened before or after the death of the leg's owner or if the leg was the only body-part available to be buried.

[Maiden Stone]

  My first thought was that the iron foot was the strange shaped object used in shoe repairing, but combined with the new leg, I am not sure!

Ditto my first thought. A cobbler's last.

[mckha489]

https://www.pinterest.nz/pin/26669822771897880/


https://www.amputee-coalition.org/history-prosthetic-leg/

I think it is  actually an iron foot - for walking.   Wood would wear out too soon.
Must have been heavy.

[odbsmith]

I am now getting the idea that Sarah may have had a major mishap to her artificial leg that required the wood replaced and iron foot repaired. One wonders if she was born with a birth defect or was an amputee. I was born with birth defect to both legs, not considered hereditary, but it did make me think!

[odbsmith]

Thanks Mckha489    for the great link!

[Maiden Stone]

Certainly heavy but better balance than Long John Silver.