Billet (wood)

Billet (wood) was a specific and standardised form of wood fuel of significant importance in the traditional pre–fossil fuel economy. The term could also be applied to a cudgel.^[1]

Nature and use

Billets were especially designed for burning on open hearth fires, often in conjunction with spits.^[2]

Measurements and cost

The 16th C standardised a billet as three foot four inches in length, and ten inches around.^[3]

A century later, Anthony A Wood recorded a load of billet wood as costing 12s 6d; while extravagance consisted of "burning in one yeare threescore pounds worth of the choicest billet".^[4]

Literary references

• The William Shakespeare play Measure for Measure contains the phrase "beat out my brains with billets".^[5]

See also

• Bavin (wood)
• Fascine

References

1. Billet
2. R Fortey, The Wood for the Trees (2016) p. 154
3. R Fortey, The Wood for the Trees (2016) p. 154 and p. 207
4. Anthony à Wood, The Life and Times Of Anthony Wood (1891) p. 501 and p. 396
5. P Alexander ed., William Shakespeare: The Complete Works (London 1962) p. 105 (IV.ii.50-1)

External links

• Definition of billet