I learned to iron on an old flat iron using a gas stove - you had to have two wet cloths, one soaped to wash the soot off the iron and the other to rinse the soap off before you put the iron on the clothes. We tested the heat of the iron by wetting a finger and touching the ironing surface and gauging heat from how it spit at you!! I used these from age around 7/8 - what would the health and safety people think now? Ros -----Original Message----- From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Roy Cox Sent: 06 February 2009 10:43 To: old-english-l@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [OEL] Unsolved - 1674 Inventory of Alice Cruse ofBrushford,Somerset - Pa... Hi Debbie - You are right about the iron, my grandparents had some - she was a seamstress - I still have three of the olde irons and a stand. They were classed in sizes according to the garment to be ironed; which as a matter of interest, was at first only a method of drying clothes. I have sizes two of No. 2 and one of No. 5 - No.1 would probably have been the styling iron for delicate work and frills etc., - the iron was heated either on a stand attached to the fire grate or over a flame from the open range or when gas arrived, on the gas ring. A No. 5 iron was used by my grandfather for his starched collars, he would use a piece of candle to test the heat, if it ran slowly then it was about right!! I have used these before the advent of affordable electric irons! Cheers Roy (Ex-Somerset - not far from Brushford - as the Crow flies!) -----Original Message----- From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of DEBBIEKENNETT@aol.com Sent: 06 February 2009 10:06 To: old-english-l@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [OEL] Unsolved - 1674 Inventory of Alice Cruse ofBrushford, Somerset - Pa... John We did in fact have an extensive discussion about this inventory some time ago now. The stiling iron was I think used for ironing clothes. This usage seems to be particularly prevalent in the West Country: The Oxford English Dictionary includes the following definition of the word " steel": 7. dial. To iron (clothes). 1746 Exmoor Scolding 273 Tha hasn't tha Sense to stile thy own Dressing. The English Dialect Dictionary also has a similar definition sourced from the Somerset Word Book.: Steel: 8.v. To iron clothes. w.Cy. To stile linen, A Provincial Glossary. Grose (1790) Dev. The back o' a zittle is a choice thing to steel clothes 'pon. 46, ed Palmer. n.Dev. Tha hasn't the sense etc....Exm. Scold. 1746. Hence Stiling-iron, an iron. Debbie ==================================== WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ==================================== WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

You reminded this old man that at times when I used the flat iron as some were called, I rubbed it off on the door mat first and then on an old thick cloth before ironing my trousers!!! Finger testing OUCH! Spit on it for it to spit back - not so Ouch!.... Cheers Roy -----Original Message----- From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Ros Sent: 07 February 2009 11:27 To: old-english-l@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [OEL] Unsolved - 1674 Inventory of Alice Cruse ofBrushford, Somerset - Pa... I learned to iron on an old flat iron using a gas stove - you had to have two wet cloths, one soaped to wash the soot off the iron and the other to rinse the soap off before you put the iron on the clothes. We tested the heat of the iron by wetting a finger and touching the ironing surface and gauging heat from how it spit at you!! I used these from age around 7/8 - what would the health and safety people think now? Ros -----Original Message----- From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Roy Cox Sent: 06 February 2009 10:43 To: old-english-l@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [OEL] Unsolved - 1674 Inventory of Alice Cruse ofBrushford,Somerset - Pa... Hi Debbie - You are right about the iron, my grandparents had some - she was a seamstress - I still have three of the olde irons and a stand. They were classed in sizes according to the garment to be ironed; which as a matter of interest, was at first only a method of drying clothes. I have sizes two of No. 2 and one of No. 5 - No.1 would probably have been the styling iron for delicate work and frills etc., - the iron was heated either on a stand attached to the fire grate or over a flame from the open range or when gas arrived, on the gas ring. A No. 5 iron was used by my grandfather for his starched collars, he would use a piece of candle to test the heat, if it ran slowly then it was about right!! I have used these before the advent of affordable electric irons! Cheers Roy (Ex-Somerset - not far from Brushford - as the Crow flies!) -----Original Message----- From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of DEBBIEKENNETT@aol.com Sent: 06 February 2009 10:06 To: old-english-l@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [OEL] Unsolved - 1674 Inventory of Alice Cruse ofBrushford, Somerset - Pa... John We did in fact have an extensive discussion about this inventory some time ago now. The stiling iron was I think used for ironing clothes. This usage seems to be particularly prevalent in the West Country: The Oxford English Dictionary includes the following definition of the word " steel": 7. dial. To iron (clothes). 1746 Exmoor Scolding 273 Tha hasn't tha Sense to stile thy own Dressing. The English Dialect Dictionary also has a similar definition sourced from the Somerset Word Book.: Steel: 8.v. To iron clothes. w.Cy. To stile linen, A Provincial Glossary. Grose (1790) Dev. The back o' a zittle is a choice thing to steel clothes 'pon. 46, ed Palmer. n.Dev. Tha hasn't the sense etc....Exm. Scold. 1746. Hence Stiling-iron, an iron. Debbie ==================================== WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ==================================== WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ==================================== WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

My mother always tested any iron, including an electric one, by a wet finger. It's perfectly safe if you're used to it. You soon learn not to leave the finger on the iron. One brief stab is quite enough. Audrey ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roy Cox" <roy.cox@btinternet.com> To: <old-english-l@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2009 3:54 PM Subject: Re: [OEL] Unsolved - 1674 Inventory of Alice Cruse ofBrushford,Somerset - Pa... > You reminded this old man that at times when I used the flat iron as some > were called, I rubbed it off on the door mat first and then on an old > thick > cloth before ironing my trousers!!! > > Finger testing OUCH! Spit on it for it to spit back - not so Ouch!.... > > Cheers > Roy > > -----Original Message----- > From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Ros > Sent: 07 February 2009 11:27 > To: old-english-l@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [OEL] Unsolved - 1674 Inventory of Alice Cruse ofBrushford, > Somerset - Pa... > > I learned to iron on an old flat iron using a gas stove - you had to have > two wet cloths, one soaped to wash the soot off the iron and the other to > rinse the soap off before you put the iron on the clothes. We tested > the > heat of the iron by wetting a finger and touching the ironing surface and > gauging heat from how it spit at you!! > > I used these from age around 7/8 - what would the health and safety people > think now? > > Ros > > -----Original Message----- > From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Roy Cox > Sent: 06 February 2009 10:43 > To: old-english-l@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [OEL] Unsolved - 1674 Inventory of Alice Cruse > ofBrushford,Somerset - Pa... > > Hi Debbie - > > You are right about the iron, my grandparents had some - she was a > seamstress - I still have three of the olde irons and a stand. They were > classed in sizes according to the garment to be ironed; which as a matter > of > interest, was at first only a method of drying clothes. > > I have sizes two of No. 2 and one of No. 5 - No.1 would probably have been > the styling iron for delicate work and frills etc., - the iron was heated > either on a stand attached to the fire grate or over a flame from the open > range or when gas arrived, on the gas ring. A No. 5 iron was used by my > grandfather for his starched collars, he would use a piece of candle to > test > the heat, if it ran slowly then it was about right!! > > I have used these before the advent of affordable electric irons! > > Cheers > Roy (Ex-Somerset - not far from Brushford - as the Crow flies!) > > > -----Original Message----- > From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of > DEBBIEKENNETT@aol.com > Sent: 06 February 2009 10:06 > To: old-english-l@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [OEL] Unsolved - 1674 Inventory of Alice Cruse ofBrushford, > Somerset - Pa... > > John > > We did in fact have an extensive discussion about this inventory some > time > ago now. > > The stiling iron was I think used for ironing clothes. This usage seems > to > be particularly prevalent in the West Country: > > The Oxford English Dictionary includes the following definition of the > word > " > steel": > > 7. dial. To iron (clothes). > 1746 Exmoor Scolding 273 Tha hasn't tha Sense to stile thy own Dressing. > > The English Dialect Dictionary also has a similar definition sourced from > the Somerset Word Book.: > Steel: > 8.v. To iron clothes. > w.Cy. To stile linen, A Provincial Glossary. Grose (1790) Dev. The back > o' > a > zittle is a choice thing to steel clothes 'pon. 46, ed Palmer. n.Dev. Tha > hasn't the sense etc....Exm. Scold. 1746. Hence Stiling-iron, an iron. > > Debbie > > > > > ==================================== > WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > ==================================== > WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > ==================================== > WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > ==================================== > WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.233 / Virus Database: 270.10.18/1935 - Release Date: 02/04/09 16:35:00