wedge

1) A short and solid piece of metal with a thin edge at one end and the other much thicker. They were used by stone-masons.

1371 Et in 24 weggis ferri de novo fabricandis, York, and by colliers. When inserted into a fissure and struck with a heavy hammer or mall they would bring down coal from the face, and the word occurs regularly in colliery accounts, e.g. 1708 two barrs of Iorne for Coale pitt weges they weighed 4 ston 12 pounds, Farnley

1713 for the working of the pit, five shovels, five malls, five iron wedges, Shibden

1754 3 wedges, 7pd at 4d per pound, Beeston. In 1569, Thomas Gybson of Wibsey bequeathed to William Rokes his greatest iron malle, foure wedges and two picks. The following entry is in the Leeds burial register: 1706 Tho: Hey of Banke, a Colyer. This mans scull was broke with an Iron Wedge driven by Gunpowder.

dates 1371 1569 1706 1708 1713 1754

Related Content Loading...

Photo by Kreuzschnabel CC BY-SA 3.0