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9 years ago, a lady called Miriam got in touch. She wanted to offer us something that she’d found in her basement in Chapeltown, sealed up behind a brick wall.
That something was a cauldron from the 1700s.
That something was a cauldron from the 1700s.
Objects were usually concealed in houses to protect against evil spirits, or to carry the spirit of a deceased relative into the life of the house.
Objects including mummified cats (!) children’s shoes and ‘witch’ bottles have been found bricked up inside old houses.
Objects including mummified cats (!) children’s shoes and ‘witch’ bottles have been found bricked up inside old houses.
Children’s shoes were even found to have been concealed in the original construction of the @SydOperaHouse 
So, how DOES one find a 300 year old cauldron in one’s house PRAY TELL
Well, there had been a dripping sound in Miriam’s basement for some time, but no-one could work out where it was coming from.
A workman came to investigate, and realised that one of the walls was false!
Well, there had been a dripping sound in Miriam’s basement for some time, but no-one could work out where it was coming from.
A workman came to investigate, and realised that one of the walls was false!
Behind the wall was a large pile of ash and grit (ew).
On top of it was a rusty ol’ object (yay).
On top of it was a rusty ol’ object (yay).
The workman carried it out into the garden, where it soon became obvious it was a cauldron.
- naturally
- naturally
A scrap dealer was picking up some other items from the house and offered to take it away, but wonderful Miriam didn’t think that sending it off for scrap was an appropriate end for something that had been concealed so carefully and deliberately.
So she called us!
So she called us!
And that’s how it ended up in our collection.
The morals of this story are
1. Whilst we’re spending a little extra time at home lately, we can maybe take a bit of comfort knowing there’s a chance we're doing so with wonderful and beautiful objects like this one nestling quietly in our walls
1. Whilst we’re spending a little extra time at home lately, we can maybe take a bit of comfort knowing there’s a chance we're doing so with wonderful and beautiful objects like this one nestling quietly in our walls
quietly judging us for how many biscuits we’ve eaten this afternoon
2. If you do find something fun in your walls, for goodness sake get us on the blower.
