Billet (wood) was a specific and standardised form of wood fuel of significant importance in the traditional pre-fossil fuel economy. The term could also be applied to a cudgel.[1]

Nature and use

Billets were especially designed for burning on open hearth fires, often in conjunction with spits.[2]

Measurements and cost

The 16th C standardised a billet as three foot four inches in length, and ten inches around.[3]

A century later, Anthony A Wood recorded a load of billet wood as costing 12s 6d; while extravagance consisted of "burning in one yeare threescore pounds worth of the choicest billet".[4]

Literary references

See also

References

  1. ↑ Billet
  2. ↑ R Fortey, The Wood for the Trees (2016) p. 154
  3. ↑ R Fortey, The Wood for the Trees (2016) p. 154 and p. 207
  4. ↑ Anthony à Wood, The Life and Times Of Anthony Wood (1891) p. 501 and p. 396
  5. ↑ P Alexander ed., William Shakespeare: The Complete Works (London 1962) p. 105 (IV.ii.50-1)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.