Gothic Astragal Molding Plane
Dateca.1765-1771
Maker
John Walton III
1744 - 1823
Maker
Benjamin Walton
1750 - 1824
MediumBirch, fruitwood, iron, and steel
DimensionsLength: 10 1/8"; thickness: 1 1/4"
Credit LineGift of Thomas Elliott
Object number2024-328
DescriptionGothic astrigal molding plane. The body has the holes from a previous wedged armed fence. The plane has a molded shoulder with flat chamfers that end with a line and turn out.Label TextBrothers John Walton III and Benjamin Walton were the sons of John Walton, Jr., planemaker and housewright, and were trained by him. Before the Revolutionary War they formed a plane making partnership which lasted until 1771, when John III moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts to work as a housewright. The planes made by the brothers bear a mark bearing both of their first initials and the "IN+READING" location stamp their father used.John III, as part of his father's company of Reading's Militia, answered the Alarm of April 19, 1775 and participated in the fight at Merriam's Corner. Benjamin answered the call to arms too, but as a "Minute Man" in Col. Bridge's Regiment, and served for thirteen days.
The body of this very interesting plane made by the brother-partners started out life as the intended core of a wedge-arm plow plane. With no visible evidence that it ever received an iron skate, the idea of making it into a plow plane may have been abandoned after the openings for the arms and wedges had been cut, and it was repurposed into a molding plane.Mark(s)The toe of the plane marked with I:B;WALTONS and IN+READING in relief within serrated rectangles (Elliott, AWP, p.389, imprint B). Toe also struck with later owner's initials J.J.P.ProvenanceJanuary 1993, purchased by Thomas Elliott (Westbrook, CT); 2024, given to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)
