"Burton: A small tackle rove in a particular manner; it is formed by two blocks with a hook-block in the bight of the running part; it is generally used to set up the shrouds, whence it frequently termed a top-burton tackel, but it is equally useful to draw along any heaby weight or body in the hold or on deck, as anchors, bales of goods, &c...."The specific arrangement described is illustrated and described on page 89 of Harold Underhill's Masting and Rigging, and a fish-tackle depending from a foretopmasthead pendant is shown in Figure 368 of Darcy Lever's Young Sea-Officer's Sheet Anchor page 69. The traditional methods of catting and fishing the anchor are described on pp 267-9 of Seamanship in the Age of Sail. The anchor-ring was hooked and hauled up to the cathead by the cat-tackle, and then the crown of the anchor hooked by the fish-tackle, to allow the shank of the anchor to be brought horizontal.
In the large sailing vessels, such as those owned by Erikson, a less complicated system was used, a single tackle replacing cat-and fish-tackles. (Although from what Mike says, there were exceptions ) An anchor-crane, with a centreline post and swinging jib, handled either anchor. Illustrations of this arrangement can be found in the Plates of Underhill's Deep Water Sail. A tackle was secured to the outer end of the crane-jib, and a hook on its lower block engaged the ring of the 'Gravity Band' on the shank of the anchor. There is a wonderful sketch of a chap in the act of hooking such a tackle to an anchor on page 57 of Günther T Schulz: Sailing Round Cape Horn (Unter Segeln rund Kap Hoorn).
Upon heaving taut, the anchor lay with the shank horizontal, balanced at its CG, and was swung up, crown aft, to be stowed with the arms and bills supported by shaped chocks on deck, The anchor-ring projected over the gunwale, so that the stock stood vertical. See Schulz, page 47. The fall of the tackle would in the usual way have been taken to the capstan, but Shulz on page 73 offers a great sketch of men pulling on a brace-tackle fall, with one man swigging off at right angles, exactly as described by Mike.
Not really relevant to the question, but it would be interesting to confirm the name of the vessel referred to. Is Mike positive the owner was Erikson?. The comprehensive list of sailing vessels owned by Gustaf Erikson (1872-1947) given in Georg Kċhre's The Last Tall Ships lists no sailing vessel wrecked in the Skagerak after the War. The Erikson firm continued in the shipping business, managing several steam vessels, but it is the sailing vessels we are concerned with. Of those still owned at the end of the War, several are still afloat, although much altered: Besides POMMERN in Ċland, we have VIKING at Götaburg; MOSHULU at Philadelphia; and PASSAT at Lübeck. The ARCHIBALD RUSSELL was broken up in 1948. PAMIR and PASSAT were sold to German owners in 1951, and the Firm ceased to be the official owner of POMMERN in 1953, when it was donated for preservation as a Museumship at Mariehamn.
On page 5 of Rigging Period Ship Models, Lennarth Petersson does refer to them as 'Burton Pendants, but this was not the usual term. Lever calls them 'Runner Pendants'; Steel calls them 'Pendants of Tackles'; Nares, and others call them 'Lower Pendants' or 'Masthead Pendants'. In progressive rigging, they were put on before the shrouds.
Darcy Lever: Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor page 27 uses 'Burton Pendants' for the analagous item fitted at the topmast head, and he is followed in this by other folk writing on this subject.
In the case of both lower- and topmast-heads, into the pendants were hooked heavy tackles when heavy lifting was called for ....for instance getting boats in and out. In the case of the topmast, the tackles were used for various purposes ....lift jiggers, when studding-sails set, etc.
As to 'Burton', Mainwaring The Seaman's Dictionary, uses the term to mean a vessel from Brittany, and it could be argued that a Burton Tackle is a corruption of 'Breton Tackle' .....in which case 'Spanish Burton' is an oxymoron.
Acccording to Clifford Ashley Ashley Book of Knots page 527, the Top-Burton was similar to a luff-tackle but used a sister-block instead of a regular double block to allow it to lie closer to the mast. Ashley illustrates the 'Single Burton', 'Spanish Burton' or 'Dory Tackle' on this page. A tackle rigged this was was perfect for a heavy lift over a relatively short distance ....as getting a fishing dory in and out.
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