A8900

Clockwork spit jack (or bottle jack); device for hanging & turning meat when being roasted in front of an open hearth fire; cylindrical casing with an octagonal base encloses the clockwork turning mechanism; key hole has a circular sliding cover; the '25 warranted' probably refers to a guaranteed maximum weight bearing load of 25 lbs of meat; also with this is a balance wheel that hung beneath a clockwork jack; this has a central hook for hanging the meat, as well as 4 smaller adjustable hooks (possibly for hanging pieces of fat to enable basting of the joint whilst cooking); the balance wheel was bought separately by Miss Horton, and is not original to the jack; Horton collection.

19th century