A pair of cuts?

[Pottoka]

I have just received the death certificate of one of my 4 x great-grandfathers who was a stone mason.

He died in an accident, when he ran himself over, in 1847. The newspaper said: "On Monday last Mr Hitchins (the Coroner) held an inquest at Rowston, on the body of Joel Andrews, who on the previous Wednesday, whilst driving a pair of cuts, fell down in a fit, and the wheels passed over the lower part of his body. The injured man lingered till Saturday night in a state of insensibility, and then died from the injuries received. Verdict, accidental death." (Stamford Mercury - 3 Sept 1847)

But what on earth is a pair of cuts? Animals? Surely not two mill-stones, which could never be managed by one man alone? I've tried the Internet which just corrects cuts to nuts or cute as it sees fit.

I don't see that his being a stone mason would alter his beast of burden, but I had to post this somewhere ...

[fullscott]

Could it be a misprint for "a pair of carts"? The word "driving" implies that horses were involved ...

Just a thought.

Jane

[helachau]

A "pair of cuts" mentioned many, many times in newspaper articles eg
Stamford Mercury, 12 Jul 1844
"Also a gig, pair of cuts, hand cart, pair of wheels ..."

This is selling the complete contents of a foundry.

[helachau]

Checking newspapers I noticed they tended to be Lincolnshire eg. Stamford Mercury, Lincolnshire Chronicle and references to carrying timber.

Google "A Glossary of words used in South West Lincolnshire (1886), author Robert Eden George Cole and check "Drug"

[helachau]

Found a searchable version of 1886 tome rather than downloadable PDF file

https://archive.org/details/glossary...e/n55/mode/2up

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/timber-drug-80791

[Pottoka]

Thank you so much!

The glossary will probably come in useful as I have lots of Lincolnshire relatives, especially agricultural.
The painting especially makes it very clear, but poses a new question: why was a mason driving timber around?

[helachau]

It wasn't exclusive to timber. There was a variety of "pair of cuts/cutts" eg.-
"with 4 inch wheels", "with harvest body", "with wood poles and harvest raves", "with shelving". Some are advertised to transport corn. Found one fitted with "a strong wooden lever called a "twitch tang" to tighten the chains that held the load.

Some were heavy duty (as in the picture) pulling loads of 3 tons and more with 4 horses. Your mason "rellie" might well have been transporting stone.

Thanks for the post - thoroughly enjoyed chasing these vehicles. Although a lot of children, who chased them literally, ended up under the wheels. They were dangerous to be on or near! Some great stories of drunk in charge, riding on the shafts, parking too long in the street, riding without reins &c.

Again, many thanks.

[Pottoka]

It would certainly be much more logical if he had been driving with a load of stone. Oooh, it makes me cringe to think of the state his legs must have been in, and his pain in the days before analgesics doesn't bear thinking about.

I wonder what kind of "fit" he had: surely not a heart problem at 53? Not unheard of, I know, but the heart problems are on the other side of the family. Maybe epilepsy? Would he have been driving such a team and wagon if he knew he was epileptic? Needs must, I suppose, in those days.

You seem to have found much better indications than I did, helachau. Luckily for me!

[Pottoka]

It would certainly be much more logical if he had been driving with a load of stone. Oooh, it makes me cringe to think of the state his legs must have been in, and his pain in the days before analgesics doesn't bear thinking about.

I have been rebuked about my ignorant comment on painkillers. To set the record straight, at the time of his accident, there would have been laudanum, opium and morphine, apparently. Thank goodness!