Camp Ovens & Covers (28 April 1840)

1840 Wholesale Ironmongery Invoice from the Roberts Family Archive

  

This invoice, dated 28 April 1840, lists a sale of “camp ovens and covers”.  The name of the company selling the goods is Carron, which I remember as a maker of stoves, and which survives today as part of Carron Phoenix.

Carron was one of the largest suppliers of ironmongery in Britain in the 19^th Century.  It was set up in 1759 beside the river Carron in Falkirk, Scotland.

A camp oven was a cast iron pot with short legs to enable it to stand in the coals and have air circulating below; a tight fitting lid to prevent ash entering and a handle for allowing you to hang it above the fire.  Carron exported these pots across the British Empire and such pots, called Falkirk Pots, are still in use in Africa.

 Also listed on the invoice are griddles – used for cooking welsh cakes – and pots. The total bill for 6 ovens, 6 griddles and 6 pots was £2.11.8 (two pounds, eleven shillings and eightpence).  Note that a discount of 7 shillings and eightpence was applied.