School: St Anne's, Easkey (roll number 13968)

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1. Crafts (continued)

   

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   source of employment in early times. Farmers prepared the ground and sowed the flax. It was a pretty sight to see a field of flax in bloom with its pretty blue flowers. When it was ripe the neighbours came and helped to pull the flax. It was then steeped in drains or ponds for a number of days. Then turned in the field to dry and it was then ready to be scutched. This scutching separated the fibre from the rest of the stalk. The fibres were spun into linen thread and made into cloth on the loom, one of which was in each district.
   The people in many cases had no light except the light of the fire. Candles were made from dried rushes or threads soaked in tallow fat. They had moulds for the making of these candles and they were long and thin.
   Pots and pans were made out of baked clay, cups and plates out of timber and writing pens were made out of quills. When they wanted dyes they used the moss off the grey rocks and the barks of trees. Straw was of great

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Annie Morrison

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Fortland, Co. Sligo