part of a glass bottle i think but unsure ???

[jimmy uk]

found this today by eye.. its has writing on it which reads.... CHELMSFORD UNION.. i think its part of bottle but im totally unsure about it

any one got a any clue ?

 

[timekiller]

Looks like a glass seal for a old wine bottle perhaps.Kinda like this one.
Take Care,
Pete,

 

[Kenosha Kid]

Since you're in the UK, thought I'd note the Chelmsford Union history there :

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...=15&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

"Under the Poor Law of 1834, Chelmsford became part of the Chelmsford Union."

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-26824178.html

"Early records show that the St John's Hospital site in Wood Street, Chelmsford, was used as a barrack ground during the Napoleonic War until 1828. Chelmsford Union built a workhouse on the upper part of the barrack grounds in 1837. The land was cheap because it was on the edge of town."

http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/articles/workhouses.html

"Following the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, responsibility for the poor was removed from the individual parish. Groups of parishes were amalgamated into Poor Law Unions and an elected Board of Guardians were responsible for the Union Workhouse. Admission into a workhouse became the main way of dealing with the poor. A workhouse was run by a master or governor whose task was to supervise the inmates, cloth and feed them, and set them to work."

"Chelmsford Union
Union declared 10 August 1835
Boreham, Broomfield, Buttsbury, Chelmsford, Chignall St James, Chignall Smealy, Danbury, East Hanningfield, Fryerning, Great Baddow, Great Leighs, Great Waltham, Good Easter, Ingatestone, Little Baddow, Little Leighs, Little Waltham, Margaretting, Mashbury, Pleshey, Roxwell, Sandon, South Hanningfield, Springfield, Stock, West Hanningfield, Widford, Writtle."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workhouse_Unions

"In 1930, under the Local Government Act 1929, the Poor Law Unions were finally abolished, with their responsibilities transferred to the county councils and county boroughs."

Your item could've been from a bottle (medicinal, or other) designated for that particular union. Since you are fom the UK and it may not have anything to do with Chelmsford, Mass? Just a guess ...

 

[RickyD]

And I would say, more than a good guess. Being a bottle hound from the continental america, I didn't see the geographical location of the find.

 

[derek]

hello, it is from a bottle. i have a whole one in tact. do you think it is valuable.

 

[surf]

Hello derek,

Welcome to TNet. Sealed early black glass bottles do indeed have value. Please put up some good photos of yours, and a story of how you found it.

"The former Chelmsford Union Workhouse" Essex Workhouses - Serving the Community for 600 Years - Essex Portal​

 

[derek]

hello, i tried to reply yesterday to you. i can confirm it is from a bottle. i have a whole one. any idea on value? derek.

 

[surf]

Cheers derek,

Definitely a bottle seal, yes. As to yours, it's difficult to comment on the unseen. I'm near plumb in the middle of North America, and know not a great deal about the arcane reaches of the UK bottle market, but would think it might be a good one.

I'd encourage you to post some good photos, and we'll all have a look.

"Items used in workhouses were often marked in order to discourage their theft. An interesting example of this is a bottle with "Walsingham Union" moulded into it, discovered in a "dig" in Norfolk. The picture below was kindly contributed by Jason Beck." The Workhouse in Walsingham, Norfolk

​