Meaning
A craftsman who made and repaired wooden wheels for carts, wagons and carriages.
Description
Wheelwrights were highly skilled craftsmen who produced the wooden wheels essential to all forms of horse-drawn transport. The work involved selecting and shaping timber for the hub, spokes and felloes, fitting them together with great precision and fitting the iron tyre that bound the wheel together. A wheelwright needed both the skills of a carpenter and the ability to work with a blacksmith on the iron fittings. The wheelwright's shop was found in every rural community and market town. The trade declined with the coming of motor vehicles.
Also Known As
Cart Wright, Wainwright
Commonly Found In
- Census Returns
- Trade Directories
- Parish Registers
- Apprenticeship Records
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