A sad task for the small village carpenter was to act as undertaker and make the coffins; for the poor, a basic box.

Wood turners have operated lathes since at least Egyptian times when it required two men, one turning the wood with a rope while the other carved it into bowls, platters, spindles, furniture legs and so on. In medieval times, the master carved while the apprentice turned the crank to turn the wood. The term ‘bodger’ comes from a wood-turner buying a plot of land and turning all the trees into chair and table legs. Because he only made part of the furniture, the term came to mean someone who couldn’t do or finish a job properly.