Skedlock Carts

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Skedlock, Kedlock, Keddledock, and Kettledock, is a name given in Lancashire to the common ragwort (Sennecio Jacobæa), and also to charlock (sinapsis arvensis)

skedlock box cart These "skedlock-carts" used to be common enough about Gorton twenty-five years ago. They were generally made by children, in a small box set on wheels. This was filled up with rushes, grass or docks, but always covered at the top with rushes, laid lengthways, the ends being to the front and back. These were tied on with string, and in the top thus made were stuck any kind of wild flowers that could be got, charlock, buttercups, daisies, meadow-sweet, etc. The children's hats were dressed with flowers, rush whips and small thorn twigs, on the thorns of which flowers were stuck, were carried in the hand, a larger branch being sometimes stuck in the centre of the cart. On one occasion I saw one of these carts on which sat astride a small child, just able to walk, its hat covered with flowers, a A skedlock cart bunch of buttercups in one hand, and a stick of "Swaggering dick" ( with which its face was smeared) in the other. The girls drawing the cart had adorned their hats with flowers, whilst the boys improvised music out of tin whistles ans old cans. These carts wer not madew at the rush-bearing only, but at any time during the summer when flowers could be got. In August, 1874, some children at Levenshulme had a small rush cart, and its train of morris-dancers

Burton reports a skedlock cart in Saddleworth in 1890. The picture shows a skedlock-cart made entirely by boys at Uppermill in 1879 - a complete rush-cart in miniature.

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