RootsChat.Com
Some Special Interests => Occupation Interests => Topic started by: angiross on Friday 21 July 06 10:12 BST (UK)
-
Would anyone unsderstand what a Twig Peeler would do? Sounds obvious, but surely one would not have to peel twigs for a living???
regards
angi
-
Where did they live and what date are we talking about, if its on a census can you give the reference, sometimes looking at the occupation of people living close by gives a clue. It's not listed on the Old Occupations website, off the top of my head I wonder if it was something to do with either furniture or hurdle (fence) making.
-
not really having an idea just what a twig peeler would be involved in I would go along with Jaywit on this one. The reason behind my thinking this (and agreeing with Jaywit) is that "twiggen" is something made of twigs or wickerwork, or something that has a wickerwork cover and a "twigger" was someone who was classed as a low class basket maker who would use ordinary tree twigs rather than the standard willow. Could it then follow that a "twig Peeler" was someone who cleaned and prepared the twigs for this sort of work .................or am I barking up the wrong tree ;D.
old rowley
-
Hi all, I think that bark obtained from coppicing was used in the tanning industry. The bark from willow birch and oak was ground up and soaked to release the tannin, and the skins were soaked in the solution to cure them. I reckon a twig peeler was someone who stripped the bark.
Having said that, "peel" sounds like removing it in strips, so it could be that willow bark etc was being used for fibre ie for tying hurdles or similar. Dad often used to use willow bark on the farm for emergency repairs in the days before plastic baler twine.
Fred.