Shillelagh

Dateca. 1830

MediumWood and brass

DimensionsOL 36 1/4 in.

Credit LineGift of Keith W. Bradley

Object number2020-129

DescriptionWood, likely blackthorn, walking stick with knob at top and brass tip at end.Label TextIn 1846, a "Mr. Eaton" of Caledonia Springs, Canada set out to walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours. His feat "to be performed by Mr. Eaton's feet" was covered in American newspapers, including the Tri-Weekly Nashville Union, who described the walker as "dressed in a flannel jacket and shorts, worsted stockings and tight shoes, and carries a sprig of shillelagh in his hand." Shillelagh, traditional Irish walking sticks, are frequently made of blackthorn, as seen in this example, but are also made of oak and holly.ProvenancePrior to 2020, Keith W. Bradley (West Chatham, MA); 2020, given to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)