Besom Broom
Description
Bundle of twigs secured by a single fibre partially released from the bundle.The twigs have been trimmed at their base ends, they are of different thicknesses and some have side shoots.
‘Besom’ is a historical term given to a bundle of twigs tied together and secured to a handle. The simple design of a besom brush served the important purpose of ‘breaming’ the ship. This is the practice of burning off the seaweed, barnacles and other growth on the hull of the vessel. Despite the obvious risk of fire, this was an essential cleaning task since even the slightest hull growth would slow a ship down. Ships that were known to have been breamed at Chatham including the 100 gun HMS Royal Sovereign.
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Object Detail
Width: 160mm
Depth: 80mm (3 1/8")