Clay Pipe

Makers marks or decorative impressed elements often appear in this position in order to disguise the joint line between the two moulds as part of the manufacturing process. This pipe has three separate maker's marks. ‘Ben Nevis Cutty’ is the brand/style of pipe. It was known as a ‘workman’s pipe’ because it was specifically designed with thick walls and a short stem so it could be clasped and balanced between the teeth, thereby allowing a person’s hands to remain free to carry out manual work. The pipe exhibits some signs of breakage at the end of the stem, this is commonly seen in similar examples - users purposely broke the ends off the stem in order to aid in holding the pipe securely between their teeth whilst conducting work which required the use of both hands. It was particularly popular in Scotland and Ireland, and in use between 1870 and 1910. This brand is also known to have been exported to Australia, with similar examples identified in Toodyay. In addition, ‘cutty’, refers to a style of pipe lacking a heel or spur at the base of the bowl.

The mark 'Glasgow’ denotes the place of manufacture for this pipe. 'Waldie’ is the name of the manufacturer, who produced clay pipes between 1870 and 1929.

The date of manufacture for this clay pipe fits within the period of construction and use for the Fremantle Prison tunnels. Work constructing tunnels and bores below Fremantle Prison occurred roughly between 1888 and 1902. The tunnels were excavated during the late nineteenth century by prisoners and originally provided both the Prison and the Fremantle township with fresh water. Fremantle became part of the municipal water supply in c.1910, and from that point on the water in the tunnels was used for reticulation. In 1989 the tunnels were found to be contaminated with diesel oil, and a bio-remediation program was instigated. The clean-up was successfully completed in 1997 and the Tunnels opened to tourists in 2006.

Smoking was a highly valued pastime by prisoners, but tightly controlled, and became a form of contraband which could be hidden to avoid detection. As such the pipe relates to the topic of Fremantle Prison tunnels, their construction, and the supply of water to the port of Fremantle as well as the experience of prisoners in regards to work, leisure and how international economies shaped everyday life. There a total of 29 clay pipes in the Fremantle Prison collection. Of these 6 are complete and this is the only complete example of the Ben Nevis brand. Other examples may exist in as yet uncatalogued archaeology assemblages.