Artwork : ArchiveNo00135

Oakum 1988

ContributionForm
Contributor Name	HMS Victory
Contributor Image	Peter_Goodwin_pic.jpg
Profession
Location	Portsea
Collection Date	05.06.08 3.10pm
Artefact Name	Oakum
Artefact Description	Mass of fibres. 40 x 25cm in mass. Deep brown / black in colour. Wire-like fibres.
Artefact Date	1988
Artefact Stored	Boatswain store, HMS Victory
Artefact Form
Artefact Image	oakum1.jpg
Sample Taken	Fibres from the side
Sample Image
History of Artefact	Old rope teased out using fingernails to produce a fibrous mass that was soaked in tallow and tar. It was used to seam the deck planking and was covered in ‘pitch’. The rope was rammed in with a caulking iron and hammer. ‘The dockyard caulkers would get paid one shilling per hundred foot of caulking! Poorhouse workers and prisoners would be made to do the job sometimes as punishment. They are still making Oakum at Chatham Dockyard.’ Historian - Peter Goodwin
Historian	Peter Goodwin
Previous Owners	None
Special Memories
Artwork Image	00135_Final.jpg

Topic attachments
I	Attachmentb	Action	Size
jpg	00135_Final.jpg	manage	121.0 K
jpg	Peter_Goodwin_pic.jpg	manage	61.0 K
jpg	oakum.jpg	manage	52.3 K
jpg	oakum1.jpg	manage	44.0 K
jpg	rope.jpg	manage	60.2 K