Enamel jugs

Enamel ware has always been popular. The glazed surface is hard wearing and easy to keep clean. Here we have two enamel jugs that were sold in the village by the Phillips family who had a shop on Hig...

The Bells, The Bells

At Market Lavington Museum we have recently been given some sheep bells. These bells were given by the daughter of a local farmer. The bells had been converted into a household ornament by being moun...

A Card Counter

Card counters, also known as jetons have a long history. Two thousand years ago the Romans used stones to help with arithmetic. The stones were made of limestone and in Latin they were known as calcul...

Trimming the wick

Those of us brought up in the world of instant electricity would have found it hard to cope when lighting was provided by the flame of oil lamp or candle. The candle, being portable was used to light...

Bull Tongs

An interesting, although rather alarming fact (as found on Wikipedia) is that 42% of all farmworker deaths caused by livestock are actually caused by bulls. No wonder methods of handling these animals...

Henry Colingborn – Easterton – 1838

Market Lavington Museum was recently given a small brass plaque. We’d like to know more about it. As can be seen, the plaque is heart shaped. It measures about 9cm tall and 7 wide. It is engraved ...

James Neate Money

In times past many business owners issued their own coinage. This was money that could only be spent on goods and services offered by the business. It could ensure that money given out by the business...

A half penny

Today we feature another of the coins found by the Yeovil Metal Detecting Club back in September. This one, literally, is a half penny. The coin is made of silver and has markings on both sides to ...

Under the Floorboards

The title for this blog entry comes from a favourite website at http://www.wallwork.me.uk/floorboards.html. This site is about items found under floorboards as the owner restored a cottage. There is a...

The Baker family in 1886

Baker is a common surname in Market Lavington. Being a baker was quite a common occupation and, no doubt, that’s where the surname comes from. The Baker family we are looking at lived at what was...