Alexander Mathieson & Sons Ltd ('& Sons', after c. 1890), of the Saracen Tool Works, Glasgow, advertised as 'manufacturers of planes, mechanical, engineering and edge-tools'. They received 'prize medals' at the London, Melbourne and Edinburgh International Exhibitions of 1851, 1862, 1880 and 1886, in their 'quest for perfection in tools'. Mathieson's vast output included specialised craft implements for coopers, ship's carpenters, tinsmiths and wheelwrights. The firm originated when master plane-maker John Manners opened premises in Saracen Lane, Glasgow, in 1792. 4 Alexander Mathieson (c. 1797–1852) took over his business in 1821, which he gave as the foundation date of his firm. He was later succeeded by his son, Thomas A. Mathieson (1822–1899), a prominent Glasgow magistrate and preceptor of Hutcheson's Hospital charitable institution. In 1854, Mathiesons moved to East Campbell Street, and had opened branches in Edinburgh, Dundee and Liverpool by 1876. The third generation comprised Thomas O. and James H. Mathieson (born 1867), the latter being a Glasgow bailie (councillor), whose estate totalled an enormous £150,939 in 1926. Mathieson's hand- and small machine-tools (e.g. bandsaws and beading machines) were exported worldwide, especially their 'heavy duty auger bits used... for boring railway sleepers'. An auger is a drilling device, or drill bit, used for making holes in wood or in the groundMathieson Glasgow (crescent moon trade mark) 2 1/4 " borehand auger, auger, churchill island, farm, woodworking, woodwork, tools

Short top end of head. Commercially made/ Well worn. Handle repaired1) automotive wire 2) electrical tape repair. Painted red, end split. miner, mining, pick, churchill island, tools, farm

Medium length wooden axe handle modern head cast iron. Blacksmith made cast and forged. One flat side, hammer end.hatchet, tools, hammer, blacksmith, blacksmithing, smithing, churchill island, farm

A billhook or bill hook is a versatile cutting tool used widely in agriculture and forestry for cutting woody material such as shrubs, small trees and branches. A billhook consists of a handle and a blade with a bevelled cutting edge. The blade is curved at the top end to form a hook shape. The handle is virtually always wooden.Rough pine handle with many borer holes. Commercially made (no ID) cast in socket one end, strap iron riveted other end. Cast blade.tools, hook, bill hook, churchill island, farm, iron

Brace and eyed auger bits were used for boring deep holes into timber, providing space for mechanical fasteners, such as bolts or spikes. Made of iron, the pictured tool comprises a Jennings type, double twist auger bit with a threaded point to draw the bit into the wood. The other end of the shank is shaped as an eye and fitted to a hand brace. Sometimes simple cross-bars were used instead of a brace. The eye design provides greater strength than a standard auger bit. This tool’s cradle further secures the bit, preventing unwanted twisting during use. Since the late 1800’s, brace and eyed auger bits such as this were used for boring holes in fence posts, bridge building and other heavy construction.Bit bolted on and held with hook. Brace probably blacksmith made. Bit commercially made. May have been used vertically. Surface pitted.auger, fencing, brace, blacksmith, tool, tools, farm, farming, churchill island

Cast iron double-springed fence wire strainer, registered and patented in 1916wire, strainer, tool, tools, farm, farming, churchill island

Alexander Mathieson & Sons Ltd ('& Sons', after c. 1890), of the Saracen Tool Works, Glasgow, advertised as 'manufacturers of planes, mechanical, engineering and edge-tools'. They received 'prize medals' at the London, Melbourne and Edinburgh International Exhibitions of 1851, 1862, 1880 and 1886, in their 'quest for perfection in tools'. Mathieson's vast output included specialised craft implements for coopers, ship's carpenters, tinsmiths and wheelwrights. The firm originated when master plane-maker John Manners opened premises in Saracen Lane, Glasgow, in 1792. 4 Alexander Mathieson (c. 1797–1852) took over his business in 1821, which he gave as the foundation date of his firm. He was later succeeded by his son, Thomas A. Mathieson (1822–1899), a prominent Glasgow magistrate and preceptor of Hutcheson's Hospital charitable institution. In 1854, Mathiesons moved to East Campbell Street, and had opened branches in Edinburgh, Dundee and Liverpool by 1876. The third generation comprised Thomas O. and James H. Mathieson (born 1867), the latter being a Glasgow bailie (councillor), whose estate totalled an enormous £150,939 in 1926. Mathieson's hand- and small machine-tools (e.g. bandsaws and beading machines) were exported worldwide, especially their 'heavy duty auger bits used... for boring railway sleepers'. Damaged wooden handle (not original) bit welded on to metal rod, handle welded on to rod,. Surface rustMathieson + (illegible)mathieson, auger, tool, tools, farming, churchill island

The adze is an agricultural tool, similar to an axe, but the blade is affixed perpendicular to the handle. Used primarily for smoothing or carving wood, the adze can also be used as a hoe. The wooden handles vary in length depending on their particular purpose and can be designed for one handed or two-handed use. This adze was made by Australian farming company, Hytest.Adze. Long, slightly curved wooden handle, with a steel arched blade perpendicular to the handle. Hytesthytest, adze, axe, tool, tools, farming, farm, churchill island

Round wooden handle. Large head with metal band at each end. Some paint stains.iron bound, wooden, mallet, tool, tools, hammer, churchill island

This small hand crocheted motif is a classic example of Irish crochet. It has been made to look like bobbin lace with the diamond shaped ground but with delicate picots resembling Clones knots and the flower design made with half trebles and trebles. It appears to be one motif of a series to be attached to a fabric to form a decorative edging. The hypotenuse of the triangle has plain loops for attachment whereas the other two sides have the scalloped edges with picots/Clones knots. Irish crochet was developed in the mid-19th century by the Ursuline nuns in County Cork but was soon being taught in every convent in the country. It was taught to women to give relief from poverty.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Small triangle piece of Irish crochet.janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, hand, crotchet

Fichu is a term used replacing the kerchief or neckerchief and comes from the French. It was worn over the shoulders to preserve modesty for low necklines or to conceal the bodice hooks or laces used for closing. This hand-made Maltese lace fichu is exquisitely worked in silk. Judging by the photos provided it is quite large and would possible used to cover evening décolletage. It appears to be around 30cm in width and about 70cm in length and being silk would be quite warm for the lady wearing it and indicate social status and wealth. Maltese lace became very popular after being displayed at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. It began as a needle lace but Lady Hamilton Chichester imported lace makers from Genoa in the mid 1800s and converted the needle lace patterns to be worked on bobbins which made it quicker. The lace is worked on long thin lace pillows and usually includes the 8 pointed Maltese Cross in the pattern, it is made in narrow widths which are sewn together to make bigger pieces such as in this fichu. Another feature of Maltese lace is the “wheat ears” or in this case petals made of plaits or tallies. There is so much work in this piece as all of the flowers are worked so close together that they appear to be solid fabricThe Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess womenBobbin silk Maltese silk bobbin lace 6 petal tallies. Lace fichupackaged with note "Fichu Maltese Lace c 1865"janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, bobbin, maltese, silk, embroidery

The 8 pointed Maltese Cross is blatantly evident at the centre of the piece being worked in cloth stitch and the plaited tallies or “wheat ears’ form the floral surrounds. At 32cm in length it could be applied to a low necked bodice and form a v shape at the waistline however this beautiful piece appears to have been attached to the bodice at the neckline. It would have been quite elegant on a dark coloured bodice. This type of bib collar may have been originally joined to another section of lace to attach it around the neckline.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Bobbin Silk, Maltese Silk, hand made bobbin lace. Packaged with note: "Lace collar Maltese Lace"janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, bobbin, maltese, silk, embroidery

This delicate camisole was donated with a note enclosed stating the following : “hand embroidered cotton camisole c 1870”. However it is believed to be silk net with silk machine made lace insertions and silk hand embroidery (Lace Group Embroiderers Guild 1/3/12).The camisole came in to being in the Victorian era. The wearing of corsets to ‘improve’ body shape was mandatory and the chemise being long was considered too bulky to cover the corset. The camisole was developed being short and light and was worn over the corset and under the bodice of the outer garment. This beautiful camisole would most likely have been used under evening wear.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess womenMachine lace insertions; silk embroidery (NGV) silk net, machine embroidery (Lace Group Embroiderers Guild 1/3/12) See photos (5)Packaged with note; "hand embroidered cotton camisole c 1870"janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, camisole, machine, silk, cotton, embroidery

Another delicate item, this bed jacket has been made with machine made cotton net which has seams joined with bobbin tape. The hand appliqued motifs on the back of the jacket are possibly Princess lace which is a type of tape lace made in Belgium in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. There are two types of Princess lace, one is where the tape shapes are sewn on to net and the other is where the shapes are linked together to form a type of guipure lace. This could be an example of the former known as an applique lace. Unfortunately one of the cuffs has become detached. Packaged with note: "Limerick lace bed jacket Janet Amess 1860 from Kel Bright collection with separated cuff" Packaged with note: "Machined lace bed jacket. Janet Amess 1860The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.Motifs hand sewn on to machined net; bobbin tape on seams (NGV) Princess machine lace machine made motifs hand-applied Packaged with note: "Machined lace bed jacket. Janet Amess 1860. From Kel Bright Collection with separated cuff".janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, bed, jacket, garment, clothing, hand, sewn, bobbin, machine

This is a fine cotton bed jacket decorated with beautiful whitework embroidery. Whitework is any type of embroidery where the threads worked are the same colour as the base fabric. It is usually worked on white linen but this could be worked on Hardanger fabric which is 22 thread count cotton. The embroidery is a combination of types but drawn thread work and Hardanger work can be clearly seen on this garment.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women, see above.Bed Jacket with open frontPackaged with note: "Limerick lace bed jacket Janet Amess 1860 from Kel Bright collection with separated cuff".janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, bed, jacket, cuff, garment, clothing, princess, machine, bobbin

This elegant petticoat has been made with rows of hairpin crochet interspersed with traditional crochet. Hairpin crochet is worked over a ‘loom’ to keep all of the loops the same length. What a special wedding petticoat this is and perhaps the bride had worked it herself to keep in her ‘hope chest’ or trousseau. The thread used for this project is a machine braid. Note that this is only a half petticoat as the bride would have worn a camisole under the bodice of her gown.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women. white petticoat, with crochet trim, and a machine made elasticised waist bandPackaged with note: "Wedding petticoat. Hand crocheted. Handmade button holes. Pure cotton. Machined waist band".janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, petticoat, garment, clothing, machine, braid, crotchet

This may have been the camisole worn by the same bride as in 0087. It would be worn over her corset and under the bodice of her gown. This fabric must have been bought with a camisole in mind and the machine embroidery in place. It would have been embroidered on a Schiffli machine. It is interesting that the seams are hand stitched which may indicate that it was an item from a trousseau. There are ribbon insertion points along the top and bottom of the garment and although there are satin shoulder straps they could easily be tucked away or removed so that this could be worn under an off the shoulder gown. Packaged with note: "White cotton camisole hand stitched seams. Probably purchased fabric pre 1900".The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women,.Machine embroidery with small floral motifs Packaged with note: "White cotton camisole hand stitched seams. Probably purchased fabric pre 1900".janet amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, janet, amess, jane, corset, cover, machine, embroidery

This bed jacket was, as the enclosed note stated, “probably hand made in Asia” and has been identified as Chinese 20th century by the Lace Group Embroiderers Guild. The insertions at the wrist are very fine handmade Irish crochet with the treble fans and Clones knots visible. The embroidery on the reminder of the jacket has also been executed by hand. Being white work is quite unusual for Chinese embroidery as it is traditionally colourful or monochromatic such as red work or blue as in the willow pattern. Perhaps this was made with the Western market in mind.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess womenChinese 20th C Hand crocheted insertions. Hand embroidery. White blouse/bed jacket.Packaged with note "Light bed jacket. Probably hand made in Asia c 1970 judging by size tag '14'"amess lace collection, lace, churchill island, frances, janet, jane, amess, embroidery, cotton, chinese, hand, crotcheted

After European settlement in 1788 Australian Fur Seals were hunted intensively from 1798 until 1825 for meat, oil and their skins. The growing Industrial Revolution called out for oil which was readily sourced from seals along with their valuable fur. Indigenous people had been sustainably harvesting seals for their meat and their skins .and the European sealers often coerced or kidnapped Aboriginal women for their knowledge of hunting seals. After 1825 the seal population had been decimated and therefore the hunt was no longer economically viable, but it wasn’t until 1923 that the Australian Government legislated to stop the hunting of seals altogether. In the time of the Amess family residence on Churchill Island it was perfectly legitimate to shoot any seal that interfered with fishing and furs were tanned and lined with fine fabrics to create items of apparel. Seal fur has a soft velvety feel when stroked in the direction of growth. A muff was a thick tubular piece of fur or other material used by women and girls to keep the hands warm and it was also used as a handbag, The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women, see above.Seal fur muff, with lining and some fraying on edges. seal, fur, churchill island, amess fur collection, janet, jane, amess, frances

After European settlement in 1788 Australian Fur Seals were hunted intensively from 1798 until 1825 for meat, oil and their skins. The growing Industrial Revolution called out for oil which was readily sourced from seals along with their valuable fur. Indigenous people had been sustainably harvesting seals for their meat and their skins .and the European sealers often coerced or kidnapped Aboriginal women for their knowledge of hunting seals. After 1825 the seal population had been decimated and therefore the hunt was no longer economically viable, but it wasn’t until 1923 that the Australian Government legislated to stop the hunting of seals altogether. In the time of the Amess family residence on Churchill Island it was perfectly legitimate to shoot any seal that interfered with fishing or was unlucky enough to come ashore on the Island. Furs were tanned and lined with fine fabrics to create items of apparel because seal fur has a soft velvety feel when stroked in the direction of growth. This strip appears to be around 22 inches in length and would be suitable to use as a belt for a tiny waisted lady or girl or it could have been used as a collar.The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess womenA narrow strip of brown seal fur with grey backingjane, amess, janet, frances, seal, fur, churchill island

Lined with brown silk 189.5 x 13.3cm After European settlement in 1788 Australian Fur Seals were hunted intensively from 1798 until 1825 for meat, oil and their skins. The growing Industrial Revolution called out for oil which was readily sourced from seals along with their valuable fur. Indigenous people had been sustainably harvesting seals for their meat and their skins .and the European sealers often coerced or kidnapped Aboriginal women for their knowledge of hunting seals. After 1825 the seal population had been decimated and therefore the hunt was no longer economically viable, but it wasn’t until 1923 that the Australian Government legislated to stop the hunting of seals altogether. In the time of the Amess family residence on Churchill Island it was perfectly legitimate to shoot any seal that interfered with fishing and furs were tanned and lined with fine fabrics to create items of apparel. Seal fur has a soft velvety feel when stroked in the direction of growth. This stole being quite narrow compared with the length would have been wrapped a few times around the shoulders and being lined with silk would have felt quite luxurious. This seal fur stole was owned by Janet Amess (nee Straughan), wife to Samuel Amess and owner of the Churchill Island Farm from 1872 - 1929. She passed this item through the generations until it reached the donor, Unity.Band of seal fur backed and trimmed with brown silk.seal, fur, janet, frances, jane, amess, churchill island, clothing, 19th century, stole, fashion

The splitter's axe was used to cleave timber apart into shingles or palings. A timber handle or haft would have been inserted through the socket. The cast iron blade was placed vertically into the timber end. The blade was then driven into the timber with a rough mallet while the haft was used to guide the split along the grain. As the timber split, the haft could be twisted to lever the two pieces apart. This tool is sometimes called a froe or frow.Machine made, painted black, cast. No handle. Shows signs of use. Socket warpedchurchill island, farm, tool, tools, splitter, splitter's, axe, paling, shingle

The cutting blade was used to cleave timber apart into shingles or palings. A haft (handle) would have been attached through the socket giving the tool an L shape. The base of the blade is driven into the timber with a mallet forcing timber into two parts along the grain. Twisting the haft then levers apart the two pieces. This can be repeated until several long strips of timber have been cut from a log. Also called a frow or froe. This tool allowed more accurate and controlled splitting over an ordinary axe and required less force.well used blacksmith made. No handlepaling, shingle, cutting, blade, tool, tools, churchill island, farm

An agricultural tool used by loggers, or farmers, the log splitting wedge has been used for thousands of years and was originally made from stone. They were either driven straight into the wood or into a previously made incision with the blade parallel to the grain. Using a sledgehammer or other tool hammered onto the flat end, the wedge is forced deeper into the log until the force splits the timber.well used, slight surface rust. Octagonal shaft to collar then wedge. Top badly burred over from use.splitting, wedge, log, lumber, tool, tools, churchill island, farm

An agricultural tool used by loggers, or farmers, the log splitting wedge has been used for thousands of years and was originally made from stone. They were either driven straight into the wood or into a previously made incision with the blade parallel to the grain. Using a sledgehammer or other tool hammered onto the flat end, the wedge is forced deeper into the log until the force splits the timber.wedge with groove to prevent sticking. Worn top, burred overwood, splitting, wedge, tool, tools, farm, churchill island

The adze is an agricultural tool, similar to an axe, but the blade is affixed perpendicular to the handle. Used primarily for smoothing or carving wood, the adze can also be used as a hoe. This adze is missing its wooden handle, which may vary in length depending on their particular purpose and can be designed for one handed or two-handed use. Rusted, well worn, blacksmith made with bias on blade. No handle. An adze is a tool similar to an axe.adze, churchill island, farm, axe, tool, tools, blacksmithing, smithing, blacksmith

purpose made with large spanner at one end of handle and single claw hammer at other endcombination, spanner, claw, hammer, tool, tools, churchill island, farm