Tumbrel

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Nineteenth-century illustration of a tumbrel conveying prisoners to the guillotine

A tumbrel (also tumbril and originally tomberel) is a two-wheeled cart or wagon typically designed to be hauled by a single horse or ox. Their original use was for agricultural work; in particular they were associated with carrying manure.[1][2]

Their most infamous use was taking prisoners to the guillotine during the French Revolution.[3][4] They were also used by the military for hauling supplies.[4][1][2] In this use, the carts were sometimes covered. The two wheels allowed the cart to be tilted to discharge its load more easily.[5][4] Many tumbrels also had hinged tailboards for the same reason.

The word is also used as a name for the ducking stool[citation needed] and for a type of balancing scale used in medieval times to check the weight of coins.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b Smith, D.J.M. (1988). A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles. J. A. Allen & Co. Ltd. pp. 161, 166. ISBN 0851314686. OL 11597864M.
  2. ^ a b Berkebile, Donald H. (1978). Carriage Terminology: An Historical Dictionary. Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. pp. 272, 286. ISBN 9781935623434. OL 33342342M.
  3. ^ "tumbrel". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "tumbrel". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Tumbrel". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  6. ^ Marshall, Chris. "The Medieval Tumbrel". UK Detector Finds Database. Retrieved 1 August 2025.[user-generated source]
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