18th Century Tin Kettles.

“GYPSIES” by J. Harris, London 1788.

In a previous post on this blog you will find a list of Indian trade goods, and in that list it states: "Brass & tinn Kettles large & Small". But of course these sizes are relative. The large tin kettles are almost as big as a water pail, so the small tin kettles are simply small in comparison to a pail, but not necessarily small enough to carry in a knapsack.

There are modern tinsmiths selling small tin kettles which they say are "based" on examples found in museums. By this they mean they are made to look roughly the same as the example in the museum. They may not be made of the same material, and they are often not the same size or shape.

Extant Tin Kettle This Early Specimen was Recovered From a Well at Fortress Louisbourg Smaller Size : 6” Tall by 8 3/4” Wide 3 Panel Body Construction with Single Riveted Flat Ears for Attaching the BaleCapacity: 1 Gallon, 1 Pint c. 1719 - 1768(Fortress Louisbourg NHS, Parks Canada)

This tin kettle is dated 1719-1768, but note that it is wider than it is tall. 6 inches tall is fine, but it is almost 9 inches wide. 

Tin Kettles or Pails with Flat Rectangular Crimped Dog Ears Found at Fort Ligonier & Reconstructions of the Same As Pictured in Neuman and Kravic’s “Collector’s Encyclopedia of the American Revolution” Heights Excluding Bales and Ears: 9 1/4” and 7 1/4” (Fort Ligonier Collection).

These look basically the same as ones being sold now, but again, look at the sizes. In this instance the width is not mentioned and it can be difficult to judge the width by the depth.

A Small Post Revolution British Tin Kettle Round Double Riveted Tin Ears, Iron Bale, and Tin Cover Sporting an Iron Ring Handle Provenance : 1st Foot Guards c.1800-1810(Armémuseum, Stockholm Sweden)

A smaller tin kettle that we are more used to seeing, but look at the date, it is 19^th century.

Brass Sheet Metal Kettle, Likely FrenchFrom the Wreck of the Machault Sunk in the 1760 Battle of Restigouche in the Bay of Gaspé in Quebec Provincec. 1755 - 1760(Parks Canada)

So, if your period pre dates the American revolution, and you are looking for a small kettle to carry in your knapsack, I suggest you use one of the tin lined brass or copper kettles being offered by some of the present day traders.

A modern made tin lined brass cast trade kettle. Not the best example of what is available today, but it is closer than using the wrong size of tin kettle.

RECOVERING THE TINSMITH’S ART Tin artifacts are among the most fragile items from the site, but substantially perfect replicas can be copied from the scraps, using historic craft skills.

http://deldot.gov/archaeology/bloomsbury/pdf/19_recovering.pdf

If anyone finds any more primary documentation in regards to pre American Revolution tin kettle sizes & shapes, I would be very pleased to hear from you.

Keith.

The kettle That wasn't.

For some time now I have been trekking without a kettle, mainly because I am trying to make my pack lighter & the brass trade kettle is a little weighty. A kettle is however very useful for collecting rain water, cooking & boiling water. I have been using my tin cup, but found it unsatisfactory for boiling water; awkward to place on the fire. So I started the search for a smaller lighter kettle.

My search came up empty handed, but I did find some interesting items that are period correct, & could be used as a kettle. So here is my creation. I know from my research that tin cups that have presumably lost their soldered handles heating water in a fire have been repaired using wire for new handles, so I decided to make a kettle from what I had available. The work was fairly simple, though I did have some trouble making copper rivets from sheet copper. In the end I used two copper rivets & two iron rivets to attach the bail brackets.

So this is NOT a copy of a period kettle as far as I know, it is simply something I found in a deserted cabin that had been for the most part burnt except for one corner near the fireplace & chimney that was still intact. This kettle is obviously home made & shows evidence of some other type of handle having once been attached to this bowl.

Floris Van Schooten 1585-1655

http://www.scribd.com/doc/205854633/Food-Food-Preparation-Pots-Kettles-Dutch-Ovens;

Cornelis Jacobsz (1570–1643)

18th Century copper cake mould.

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/167433-antique-18th-french-copper-cake-mold?in=1661;

Diderot Coppersmith.

Detail from Diderot images re coppersmithing above. Note the copper bowl second from right. 

Kettle made from a copper helmet.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/479633429041882527/;