Scale, Balance
Description
A small set of bronze and copper balance scales from the Gairloch. The scales have two round copper weighing pans attached to a brass beam by thin lengths of chain. There is an illegible makers mark stamped on the beam.
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Object detail
Classification
Credit line
These
scales
were
salvaged
from
the
wreck
of
the
Gairloch
on
the
Taranaki
coast
near
Weld
Road,
Oakura,
in
1903
by
a
17-year-old
farmhand
Fred
Cowling.
There
was
an
official
salvage
following
the
wreck
of
the
coastal
steamer
on
5
January
1903
and
then
the
wreck
was
sold
to
to
Mr
A.
Bayly
for
£20
and
the
residual
cargo
was
sold
to
Mr
H.
Mills
for
five
shillings.
The
wreck
was
beginning
to
break
up
by
mid-April
1903
and
Fred
was
allowed
to
take
a
bullock
cart
down
to
the
wreck
to
take
away
anything
he
wanted.
Fred
and
his
family
retained
a
special
link
with
the
wreck
and
for
many
years
made
an
annual
visit
to
the
site
of
the
stranding.
This
tradition
was
maintained
by
his
daughter,
Dorice
Cowling-Holmes
and
her
family
until
at
least
2003.
Accession number
PA2008.068
Collection type
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