Machinery and Equipment

An Inventory of Furniture and Tools

The Balance Crane

An Inventory of Furniture and Tools taken at the Bell Rock Workshop in Arbroath at the commencement of the Works -
dated 21st November 1807

The inventory listed below must be a rare example of the thoroughness of early 19th century bookkeeping as far as detailing the "nuts and bolts" needed to build the Bell Rock Lighthouse. Within square brackets is a possible translation of the some of the "difficult" words - to a greater or lesser degree! It would be wrong to suggest that the compiler misspelt these names. Many of them are rooted in the old Scots language; others may be nothing more than the old name for the implement - now no longer in use. I would be pleased to hear from anyone who can verify or give any information on these words.

Below is a list of weights and measures converted to metric.
in. = inch = 25.4 mm
ft. = foot = 30.48 cm
lb. = pound = 450 grams
gallon = 4.56 litres
cwt = hundredweight = 112 lb
12 inches = 1 foot

The Movable Beam Crane

The Inventory

Furniture

4 Carron [makers' name] Grates; 4 Fenders; 4 pair Tongs; 4 Pokers; 2 large Wrought Iron Grates; 1 small ditto; 2 sets of Fire Irons for ditto; 6 Crans [means of supporting a pot over a fire]; 3 White Iron Pans, long handles; 4 Pots with covers; 2 Boilers with ditto; 2 Tea Kettles; 4 Girdles; 9 White Iron Beasons [cleaning?]; 3 more ditto on board some of the Ships; 4 Frying Pans; 1 Wrought Iron Toaster; 50 Japand [black lacquered] Quart Tankers; 2 Lamps; 2 Tinder Boxes; 4 White Iron Flagons; 4 Water Pitchers; 4 Ladles; 6 White Iron Tankers; 2 doz. Table Spoons; 1 large Tea Canister; 2 smaller ditto; 12 Wood Chests; 54 Hammocks; 59 Mattresses; 51 Pillows; 130 pair Single Blankets; 15 pair Double ditto; 53 Rugs; 2 Tables each 17½ ft. long 2 ft 8 in. broad; 6 Stools each 6 ft. long; 1 Mahogany Drawing Board and Square; 2 Wire Riddles; 1 Lime Riddle; 2 Ink Holders.

Masons Tools

44 Aberdeen Picks; 11 Stone Axes; 2 ditto at Kingoodie; 10 large Dressing Hammers from 25 to 30 lb. weight; 10 ditto from 17 to 19 lb.; 13 ditto from 6 to 8 lb.; 24 Earth Picks; 30 Free Stone Picks, a few of this sort at Kingoodie; 2 large Quarry Mells [heavy hammer] 20 lb. each; 60 Jumpers [long iron drills used in quarries]; 4 large ditto 1½ in. diameter; 5 Needles for ditto; 7 small Hand Punches; 49 Quarry Wadges [wedges]; 9 Boring Hammers; 1 Smiths Forge; and Implements complete for ditto; 2 Purchase Crow Pinches; 1 Round Wrought Iron Grate and Boilers Ladle, etc; 8 1in. square Screw Bolts, Nitts and Washers; 6 ditto 7/8 in. sqr; 5 ditto ¾ in. sqr; 2 ditto 1 7/8in sqr; 4 Screw Keys; 2 large Sweevels[?]; 7 small ditto; 12 Shi…[?]; 4 Bolts and Wadges; 4 small Pletts [plates?]; 6 Eye Pletts; 3 Ba….[?]; 8 Wadges for ditto; 4 Graplins; 1 Iron Hoop for the Wooden House; 12 Iron Straps each 4 ft. 10 in. long; 10 small ditto each 2 ft. 6 in. long; 1 Large Pinch [pointed iron rod] 9 ft. 11 in. long; 1 ditto 7 ft. 9 in. long.

Lanterns Chains, Links, Screws and Bolts

1 Chain 103 ft. long wrought from inch bar; 1 ditto 156 ft. long wrought from ditto; 1 ditto 47 ft. 3 in. wrought from ditto; 1 ditto 32 ft. 9 in. wrought from ditto; 1 ditto 44 ft. 3 in. long wrought from ¾ in. bar; 1 ditto Screw Bolt 18 ft. 6 in. wrought from ditto; 1 ditto 45 ft. 6 in. for Buoy; 1 ditto 54 ft long for ditto; 1 ditto 103 ft. 6 in. long in 22 pieces wrought from ¾ in. bar; 1 ditto 72 ft. long wrought from 7/8 in. bar; 1 ditto 45 ft. 6 in. long wrought from ¾ in. bar; 1 set Pletts for Wooden House; 30 Screw Bolts 1 ft long from ¾ to 1 in. sqr; 19 ditto 11 in. long ¾ in. sqr; 4 each 9 in. long ¾ in. sqr; 9 ditto from 16 to 22 in. long 1 in. sqr; 10 pair Hinges from 18 to 23 in. long; 5 pair Staples.

Beacon Supports

Joiners Tools

6 Axes each weigh 5½ lb.; 6 Adzes; 1 pair 1¼ in. Plews[?]; 1 pair 1 in. ditto; 1 pair ¾ in. ditto; 1 pair ½ in. ditto; 2 Trying Planes;2 Fore Planes; 2 Hand Planes; 2 Hand Saws; 2 Frame Saws; 5 Screw Drivers; 2 Iron Squares; 2 pair Compasses; 16 Hose Irons; 11 Augers [boring tool]; 11 Voiles [a loose light-weight material?] for handles; 2 large Cross Cut Saws; 2 Nail Hammers; 2 Runshes [wrenches]; 1 Saw Set; 1 Room Door Lock. Nails, etc 161 lb. Single Garren [long nails]; 68 lb. 6 in. Garrens; 58 lb. 6 in. ditto; 78 lb. 5 in. ditto; 86 lb. 5 in. ditto; 107 lb. 5 in. Carpenters Nails; 70 lb. Double Nails; 19 lb. single ditto; 1 large Cramp wt. 105 lb; 58 lb. Flooring Stobs [short thick nails]; 2 Cant Hooks; 1 Cran and Wheels, etc; 1 Fore Hammer; 3 small Kegs White Lead ½ cwt. each; 8 gallons Linseed Oil and Bottles; 2½ gallons Salid[?] Oil and Bottle; 4 three shewd [?] Blocks from 7½ to 8½ in. long; 5 two shewd ditto from 7½ to 8½ in. ditto; 5 White Iron Paint Cans with Brushes.

The Woolwich Sling Cart

Smiths Tools

20 pair Tongs; 3 Fore Hammers; 3 Hand Hammers; 2 Gourd [shaped as the fruit?] Hammers; 1 set Hammer; 5 Nail Bores; 7 Mandrels; 2 pair Compasses; 11 Punches; 1 Chisel; 2 Shovels; 2 Pokers; 2 Cleaven [piercing?] Irons; 1 Stamp BR; 6 new Files; 7 ditto in use; 1 Bress [brace] for a Press Dreel [drill]; 1 Hand Bress with two bits; 11 Screw Tops; 4 Screw Plates; 2 Top Runshes; 1 pair Stocks and Dyce; 1 small Plate and 1 doz. Tops; 1 Forge Vice; 1 Hand Vice; 2 pair Bellows; 1 Beam and Scales; 1 cwt. of Weights; Iron in Smith Shop 7 cwt; Steel in ditto 53 lb; 2 Water Pitchers; 1 tin Oil Bottle; 2 Anvils; 2 Water Tubs; Old Iron in Store House 3 cwt; 2 Hand Barrows; 1 Wheel Barrow; 1 Water Barrel; 7 Lime Tubs; 1½ barrels Tar; 1 Cable Rope 74 fathoms; 1 ditto 21 fathoms; 1 Spare Wheel for the Cran at Shore; 1 new Cable Rope 120 fathoms by 13 in. diameter; 236 Balls Lead; 2 Stone Carts; 1 Horse, and Harness for ditto.