S&SWM PR papers L352

L352

[Ans'd]

Hilmarton | Calne, Wilts. | 12 Aug. 1887

Dear Sir

Remembering your interesting agricultural museum I venture to offer for acceptance (or refusal) a large waterjar of red earthenware; handmade without wheel' glazed with ochre soil rubbed in with a pebble; such as is in general use throughout the Canary Isles; & worth 10d Size 16 inches diameter 9 1/2 high; with small base.

[insert] Also [end insert] sheath knife, with brass & horn handle, nicely inlaid with brass & copper wire. Made only in Grand Canary but universally carried by men in the sack or belt. Value 2/-

I have also small quantities of the "Gofio" or meal ground from corn of any sort, or several mixed together, but always parched in the grain & not cooked afterwards for eating, this meal is the general food of the islanders of the Canaries.

If foods are of interest I have a cake or two of "Cassava" from Jamaica.

If you should care to accept either or all of these objects it will give me great pleasure to make them over to such an excellent museum.

I remain truly yours
Cecil V. Goddard

Knife is Add.9455vol2_p358 /5, cassava cakes are Add.9455vol2_p360 /7-8, jar cannot be identified in catalogue of second collection and might not have been catalogued, or not acquired.

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L397

[Ansd]

Hilmartin Vicarage | Calne, Wilts | Oct 24/ 87

My dear Sir

I am sending you a crate by rail to Tisbury the things from Teneriffe that you thought might be of use in the museum. They are all labelled. I have added a few other things: but if any are unsuitable pray return them.

The glass beads & bangles from Palestine & Syria I cannot give, but if you allow of loans, it will be a pleasure to me to leave them for exhibition in yr museum for the present.

Truly yrs
C.V. Goddard

List
Hammock of grass from Mexico
Wicker strainer for Cassava
2 cakes cassava bread
2 boxes Teneriffe "Gofio' meal
Canary knife
Canary musical instrument
Canary drinking cup
Canary water jars (unfortunately cracked lately but mended)
Box containing 2 strings of beads, bangles & rings of glass
Fire fan from Mexico

You said when I saw you at Miss Groves that you would like me to get a thrashing sledge from Teneriffe.

I have not yet done anything in the matter, as I have been waiting for my own probable return to the island; but in view of that am I to understand that you desire a sledge to be sent? if so should the pole & peculiar yoke be included? You do not want a primitive plough as well, I suppose?

C.V.G.

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L412

Hilmarton | Calne Wllts | Nov. 15. 87

My dear Sir

I have, according to your desire, written to Mr Peter Reid the Vice Consul at Puerto in Teneriffe to obtain & forward to Tisbury Sta. the things you mention as of use for your museum: * I have referred him to you and no doubt you will hear from him in due course

It has give [sic] me pleasure to be of use in so interesting a matter; & if I can pick up anything in the Engadine this winter illustrative of manners & customs there it will please me to offer it you on my return

Allow me to remain
truly yours
C.V. Goddard

*There do not appear to be any other items from Tenerife mentioned other than those already listed from Goddard

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L466

[Ans'd]

Hotel Caspar Badrutt | St Moritz Engadine | Switzerland | Feby 11 1888

My dear Sir

Knowing how interested you are in the implements &c. in use among peasants; I have noticed such things here during the winter with a view to enquiring if you think it worth while to acquire any; were I able, I would gladly purchase & present some to your museum but that unfortunately I can't do.

The following I have thought worthy of note -

1. Little sledge (or as we English call it "toboggan") used by children for sliding down steep streets, roads &c. It is generally a simple sledge but I have seen in Pontresina a more elaborate and quaint form having a sort of saddle to sit astride on [Drawing] somewhat thus, (in elevation.) I understand that about 5/- [insert] (or less) [end insert] would purchase one.

2. The plaited rawhide ropes used for all tying purposes, & for reins, here: they are made at a village in the valley. The reins cost 15 francs a pair; but ropes with wooden eyelet holes can easily be obtained new or used

3. The yoke, used for single oxen; placed behind the horns, & curving downwards - the ends of shafts being passed through on either side

4. Curious whips used by all - made of rawhide twisted thongs mounted on a handle formed by splitting one large stick into 4 & twisting them together into a tapering pliable handle [Drawing] Other whips are 6 or 8 feet long on a longer handle, ornamented with badger hair - these are the ones they crack so loudly.

5. Iron lamps hung from roof cosisting [sic] of a saucer or pan on which is placed a lump of tallow or grease & a bit of stuff to serve for wick.  I have seen several of these [insert] with [end insert] very well worked iron legs & stand; & I obtained a disused by inferior one for a couple of francs: no doubt they may be bought: & in England would be curious I think.

6. Round, & rather clumsy, snowshoes about as big as a dinner plate. Made of split wood & very coarsely meshed netting - They are made in another valley, but I have seen them here.

7. Wooden shovels for clearing snow - we have used great numbers in the ice rinks: the blade is of brick or pear wood I fancy & is curved to keep the snow from slipping off it: the handle is 4 feet long & straight [Drawing] Price 2 francs 50 They come over from Coire.

If you thought any of these worth having I should be happy to obtain & send them I hope you have the things from Teneriffe, that I ordered, by this time.

Truly yours
C.V. Goddard

For the collection made in the Engadine Valley by Goddard for Pitt-Rivers see Add.9455vol2_p375 /1 and on

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L471

Hotel Bernina | Samaden | Engadine | Switzerland | Mar. 2. 88

My dear Sir

I regret that the things from Teneriffe have not yet put in an appearance. On receipt of your letter last week I wrote at once to

Don Pedro Reid
Puerto de la Cruz
Teneriffe

asking him to undertake the collection & despatch, & if his time was to [sic] much occupied, to pass on my request to Dr George Perez, who was a friend of mine & I am sure would be glad to assist in such an object. Either of these gentlemen would correspond with you (in English)

As regards Swiss things I have set several people on to obtain specimens of such things as I mentioned to you: and also [insert] a few articles [end insert] of dairy utensils, which (unless you have them already) appear to me to be of interest. If you can find time to answer this soon after receipt, I could get a big cowbell, collar, & old ornamental buckle; there are plenty here (if they will sell) but I fear the price would run between 20 & 30 francs.

The saddle sleighs are still in use commonly here; today I saw one dated 1820, & painted in gaudy colours. I am trying to obtain a child's ("toboggan") sleigh on the same principle - as I mentioned before, but fear; they regard them as heirlooms & will not part with them - but I can get one built from a pattern, no doubt.

I shall be leaving the Engadine in about a fortnight [insert] for Thuois [end insert] but will see to the matter well before I go.

Believe me
truly yours
Cecil V. Goddard

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L1096

Ansd Nov 22/ 94

Chideock Vicarage | Bridport | Nov. 7. 94

My dear General Pitt Rivers

When the Wilts. Society met at Wilton I introduced to your notice "Blakey's Boot Protectors," as you were exhibiting the ancient sandal cleats. I enclose another example which I have lately come across for I think you will be interested in observing how exactly in shape they follow the old lines: but [insert] are [end insert] improved by using hard steel, & have a barb on each tang.

I hope soon to be going out to Grindlewold if there were any Swiss implements you desire to have it would give me pleasure to try & obtain them for the Museum.

A year ago we laid water mains along the streets of this village. The main street is, as you are aware, the Roman road from Dorchester thro' Bridport to Axminster (?Colyford) We found the bed of the road to be of sea pebbles at a depth of about 14 to 20 inches: but nothing of any date turned up except a glass seal off a bottle dated last century: a round bit of lead (near the carpenter's) four broad horseshoes near an old blacksmith's forge & a few modern bones at one spot: no coins at all, nor any pottery.

Yrs faithfully
C.V. Goddard

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L1176

Ansd Mar 8/95

Hotel de la Ville Naples | Feb. 13. 95.

Dear General Pitt Rivers

I have purchased & today despatched by sea to you at Tisbury station one of the curious metal erections that are used here on the backs of dray horses to bear the back strap of the heavy two wheel carts. The cart is always tipped up so that the shafts are high above the horses' back, & the weight of the load rests on the belly-band a& not on the back strap.

This latter requires stiff support, which is furnished by this heavy metal saddle. The price is a long one, but it is not beyond what is usually paid. I could have got cheaper, smaller & less highly finished saddles at £4 £5 or £6: this cost £7:4s

If you have already one at Farnham, I am sorry to trouble you & can only request that it be forwarded on to me at my home

Chideock Vicarage
Bridport

when I shall be happy to pay all charges. but if you have not already got one, I think you will not be displeased at my buying it for the Museum.

As a piece of metal work it is good, & its engravings are interesting.

You probably can give a reason why badgers' hair or skin is so universally used on horse trappings on the continent: I however have never heard the reason.

The initials on the flags & on the other parts are those of the maker
Alessandro Pisa of Naples

the beak faces to the front

on the back are engraved
St Gennaro, Patron saint of Naples
The Virgin Mary & Child Jesus.

On the left of the saddle
St Louis
St Lucy (with her eyes on a dish)
St Vincent

on the right of the saddle
St Lucy
"The Virgin (Mary) of Grace"
St Peter

on the strap supports
St Vincent

I got no explanation of the barrel shaped ornament nor of the scroll over it.

In the box I have also placed a common pottery lamp arranged for burning oil with two wicks - which I got here (for less than three pence!) and beg you to accept for the Museum.

I am informed that the owners or carters are rather proud of their metal saddles & rub them up when they send their animals to be blessed on St Anthony's day. The saddles pass as heirlooms in the family.

I hope to be at home at Chideock in the course of a week or so. You will hardly get the box under a month I suppose.

Yrs faithfully
Cecil V. Goddard

P.S. I desired to communicate with you concerning the purchase of the saddle, but was unable to do so, owing to our short stay in Naples.

C.V.G.

The saddle is Add.9455vol3_p1037 /1, the lights are Add.9455vol3_p1035 /1

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L1194

Ansd Mar. 18/ 95 | Cheque £7.4.0 sent

Chideock Vicarage | Bridport | Mar. 13. 95

Dear General Pitt Rivers

You will, I hope, have received a letter from me written at Naples & stating that I was sending you an interesting piece of harness - This latter probably has reached you by this time & I hope meets with yr approval. With this letter I am enclosing a photograph [not enclosed] showing the manner of use of the said article. The spreader and chains hanging under the cart (one of the immensely long Neapolitan carts) would be for the second horse, which is always hitchednot in front, but alongside & draws from the under side of the shaft or cart bed. I think one reason for this peculiar raising of the shafts above the horse's back may be to avoid the banging and hitting of the shafts as the wheels play in & out of ruts, broken pavement, & deep holes so common in Naples.

I am also sending a modern tin olive oil lamp: the existing type of the ancient pottery form - which is used in Rome by every stone cart, slung under the axle, to give light (so I was told) in the dark passages of the subterranean quarries. I failed to buy one off a cart to I offered 7d down (!) for the dirty oily thing - but on return to the city obtained this off a tin-man's barrow for 2 1/2d. Will you kindly accept it, if it be of any value for comparison. Identically the same thing is made & sold at Thuris in Switzerland where I got one some yrs ago - & where I fished up on the road one day an interesting old iron one, similar but larger and heavier.

2. P.S. Are you aware of the very extraordinary shapes of the flint implements found about Verona in Italy? I saw them in the Kircherian Museum at Rome, & they were new to me - 3 points, 4, 5, 6, 7 points on one flint - some heart shape, triangular, star shape, harpoon, trident, toasting fork shapes - some like a lizard wit the toes cut off, others like a toad with the legs cut short.

But you are probably aware of these can you give me any suggestions of their special uses?

In the same museum are several ancient interments in situ. & I noticed that rough worked flints & polished implements lie beside one skeleton together. flints and bronze implements together beside another. which seems interesting indications of the overlapping & simultaneous use of these materials.

In the suburbs of Naples a common form of crockery basin in several sizes had a broad rim with raised rib on the outer edge [drawing] - but I saw none with the rib on the inner edge as on some of the Romano-British crocks.

C.V.G.

Olive oil lamp is Add.9455vol3_p1035 /2

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L1215

Chideock Vicarage | Bridport | Mar. 22

Dear General Pitt Rivers

I am much obliged for the cheque for the Neapolitan "saddle".

I observed in Naples that boar's tusks fringed with badger hair &c were hung on the headstalls of cabhorses on enquiry I was told it was to keep off the Evil Eye. You mention the brass ornament of harness in Naples - I remember reading a while ago a very interesting paper in some Antiquarian periodical on that subject - but dealing chiefly with our own English horse ornaments - they were, as you say, stated to be survivals of the crescent of Diana, & the disk of Sol, &c &c.

Mr Ralls of Bridport exhibited here last winter a dried animal's heart stuck full of pins, which had been found in an old chimney at Netherbury & handed to him: and he stated that he knew of an instance [insert] lately [end insert] of a person saying his pigs had been "overlooked" - & he moved the sty to save his pigs from his neighbours "evil eye"!

In looking at a large collection of the bronze articles called "mirrors" used by the ancients - & observing many of them engraved all over the surface that [insert] which [end insert] one would have expected to be quite plain, I wondered if some of them were not fans: & I thought I saw in some fresco an indication of this from the way a lady was holding it. If you know the things I refer to [drawing]

I was much interested by a small relief in the Lateran gallery showing a tall crane of timber in use for raising blocks at a building, & actuated by a very large hollow thread-wheel.

It is very pleasant to hear that you find the photographs of the Neapolitan cart useful.

I have not seen those good Carib worked flints you mention, but shall keep my eyes open in Museum.

Yrs faithfully C.V. Goddard

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L1669

Goddard | Ansd. Nov. 24/96

The Vicarage | Shrewton. S.O. | Wilts | Oct 6.96

Dear General Pitt Rivers

I am forwarding by this post to you a small box of pot sherds dug up in removing earth from around the walls of Maddington (Wilts) Church - chiefly the Tower.

The neighbouring Manor House must have used the Ch-yard as a convenient "kitchen midden" one wd. think from the quantity of pottery turned out.

I send all the sorts found to show you the style of deposit - but the most numerous are unglazed coarse thin: red blackish or pale pink, with thick square cornered rim, the upper surface [insert] or rather edge [end insert] of which as you see generally has a more or less pronounced groove on it. something so [drawing] Some pieces have soot adhering still: all the glazed bits I have picked off the surface of a big heap of rubbish I have sent you.

I also have put a few bits I picked up on ploughed fields about Carnac in Brittany this summer - & a couple (one very coarse red, the other fine blue) from ploughed downs in Maddington parish.

I was immensely interested in the megalithic monuments of Brittany & examined some of them carefully, with a view to judging of the art & skill of the builders. Those that are worked much such as the Menhir near Dinan (St Sampoon) has been tooled to an oval section with great accuracy & care.

I noticed also that some of the stones used covering the chambers in barrows were carefully worked, and in some cases these covers seemed to me to have been tooled for menhirs, being oval in section - about the worst form for a coverstone one would think. The great carved stone in the chamber "Table des Marchands" at Carnac, was as I understand only excavated so as to be quite visible in late years. But its carving is very much weathered. Of course it may have been originally intended to be left visible - there is no apparent barrow over this chamber, & it lies so far above the surface as to show like a cromlech but as the great table or cover stone entirely roofs in the chamber & [insert] covers [end insert] the carved stone which forms its support at the head, I do not see how the weather could have beaten with sufficient violence to weather away the carving of a granite slab in its present position. Do you know these Carnac monuments? If so has it suggested itself to you that some of the more elaborately worked stones have been re-used & are not now in their original positions?

Of course one must except such stones as those of the Chamber at Gavr-inis, where they clearly are all of a piece - but there it is proved by their present positions that they were carved before placing & not always with knowledge of the position they would occupy. Without knowing Fergusson's theory of their late origin, I came to the conclusion that as at Stonehenge the people who could work stone so accurately were not barbarous of a primitive age.

If I am not boring you I should very much like to hear any ideas you have formed about the Brittany stones.

Faithfully yrs
Cecil V. Goddard

These potsherds etc do not seem to have been catalogued into the second collection

Transcribed by AP May / June 2011 as part of the Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project.