FIRESTARTERS - 1889

 

Firestarters were made to get the fire in ovens and (large) stoves going - for example in schools - but also in private homes. Most of the time the stoves and ovens were running on peat and in order to stir up the fire from the start, the so-called "firestarters" were used. They were made of a handful of wood-chips, tied together with a piece of iron wire, of which the top was dipped into resin. Considering the numbers that were produced (sometimes up to 3600 pieces per person/per month) it was not hard on the physical condition of the ones who made them, which made it an acceptable job for the residents of the poorhouse. They earned half a cent for each firestarter out of a sale price of 3½ cent. In the overview below you will not only find information about residents who made firestarters in the year 1889 but also to whom they were sold, the numbers and the profits. Amongst the buyers were many notables such as the governors of the poorhouse themselves as well as the mayor.