particular, but white ash711 is also mentioned, and there is a single mention of beech and ’white poplar’m. Otherwise, apart from what is contained in the daybooks of Benjamin Chappell, l have no information on either the home—based artisans of the early colonial period, nor of the larger furniture factories of the late nineteenth century.713 It is another area needing further

research.

Barrel making — Wooden barrels were the standard container used for the storage and transport of many commodities throughout the colonial period and even into the twentieth century. Stewart (1806) said that young saplings of yellow birch were used for making the hoops, while MacGregor (1828) said that white ash was used for making staves — in the early nineteenth century, in fact, staves were one of the articles of export from the island that was regularly listed in the custom records. Also, John Cambridge listed coopers as one of those ’mechanics’, of which he said there were a few on the islandm, while a decade later, the anonymous author of A True Guide to the island said that any prospective immigrants who were coopers would do well in their trade on the islandm. 7‘6

Chappell (1778-1818) (in 1778) recorded making a card-table out of “Cirl‘d Maple”, while Captain John MacDonald (1784) included ‘maple' as one of the woods that he wanted cut and seasoned so as to be ready in the future for “chairs and other uses”. Its use in “cabinet work" is mentioned by Stewart (1806), Hill (1839) and Bain (1890).

71° The use, or potential use, of yellow birch in furniture making is mentioned by Patterson (1774) Stewart (1806), Anon. (1808), MacGregor (1828), Hill (1839) and Bain (1890). Also Captain John MacDonald (1784) included “the best black Birch” as one of the woods he wanted cut and seasoned for "chairs and other uses".

7” Bain (1890) said that white ash was used in “cabinet work".

7‘2 MacDonald (1784) included these two woods among those that he wanted cut and seasoned for “chairs and other uses". It is not certain which of the island’s three poplar species MacDonald meant by the name ‘white poplar‘.

7'3 I note the comment of Lewellin (1832) (p. 201, not extracted), that because there were “but few professed cabinet-makers in the Colony" at that time, the "amount of [their] wages” made ‘furniture‘ ‘dearer' on the island [than in Britain], despite the fact that the “timber may be had for little more than the trouble of getting [it]".

714

[Cambridge] 1796?.

715

Anon. 1808.

"6 See Morrison (1983) (pp. 162-163) for information on the coopering and barrel-making industry in Lot 11 during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including some of the

basic procedures used in making a barrel.

107

Mill-work and machinery Various recorders mention that the island’s hardwoods (sugar maple, yellow birch, elm and poplar) were used for what they call ’mill-work’ and ’machinery'm. These woods presumably would have been used for the wooden parts of the working machinery of saw and other mills including their water wheels and crank shafts, and l have already assembled the information on the island's early mill-wrights in the section on the sawmills. Into this broad category would also fall the spinning wheels that Benjamin Chappell specialised in making for sale. From his daybook, which provides an invaluable record on the working methods and output of a home-based craftsman, it is evident that he made 866 wheels, in a kind of production line, numbering each of them individually. He also recorded the types of wood that he used in the different parts of the wheels, and it is evident that at one time or other he used practically every hardwood found on the island: ‘beech’, ’oak’, ’black’ and ’yellow’ ’birch’ [i.e. both yellow birch], 'white birch’, ’maple’ [probably sugar maple], ’white maple’ [i.e. red maple], and ’poplar’ are all recorded.

Household and farming utensils — There are a few references to some of the island’s hardwoods being used to make tools and utensils for use in the pioneer home and on the farm: the sugar maple was used in making axe-handles; white ash, ’farming utensils’; and black ash, brooms; and all three of these woods were used in making baskets.718 Though in the pioneer period many people must have put their hands to making such objects, I expect that it was not long before there were also artisans who specialised in the production of some of these. The Mi’kmaq are mentioned as the craftsmen who made baskets and axe-handles from sugar maple and black ash”, while in 1808 the True Guide said that ’turning’ was a craft that would ’answer well’ on the islandm.

Ships’ equipment — Then there are the artisans who made the ancillary equipment required for

717

Sugar maple: Bain 1890; yellow birch: Hill 1839, Bain 1890; elm: Bain 1890.

7‘3 Stewart 1806; Sutherland 1861; Bain 1890.

719 Bain (1890) said the Mi’kmaq used sugar maple for axe handles and baskets, while Sutherland (1861) said they used

black ash to make baskets.

720

Anon. 1808.