OXLADE FAMILY HISTORY

OCCUPATION – LIMEBURNER

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Lime was used for making building mortar, which was in demand for the cathedrals springing up all over the country. The Lime Burner had a thankless if important task, heating chalk in a kiln at 1,100C to make quicklime. The dust it produced could cause blindness and spontaneously combust and burn. If that wasn't enough, the carbon monoxide could make the worker dizzy and he could fall into the kiln with ease. Health and safety was obviously not a high priority in the Middle Ages! The Gower Lime Burning Industry 1800-1960 (Photo Left )

A lime burning industry existed in South Gower for several centuries and its progress from 1800 AD onwards can be traced using Ordnance Survey maps. The OS maps do not show all the known lime kilns and unfortunately the presence of an unrecorded kiln is of little relevance in the historical study of this industry as kiln construction, alone, cannot be used for dating purposes. Source:http://medievaltravel.co.uk/jobs/limeburner.html

Last changed: 18/11?2006, 19:10:00