He is the turnspit doga short-legged, long-bodied dog breed with a heavy head and drooping ears.
The turnspit dogs duty was to keep the spit rotating.
To turn the spit, a devilish unit was created.
As the dog ran, like a hamster in a cage, the spit turned.
The wheel was usually kept away from the fire so as not to overheat the dog.
That was as much compassion the poor dog received.
He was just another kitchen tool, a piece of machinery, rather than a living being.
The scullion kicked him, the cook flogged him.
Sometimes a glowing coal was thrown into the wheel to make the dog run faster.
The turnspit dog often worked in pairs to relieve each other at regular intervals.
Unequal share of workload was often the cause of fights and bickering among the dogs.
Turnspits dog were employed not only in kitchens.
They also drove fruit presses, butter churns, water pumps and grain mills.
On Sundays, families took them to church, because these dogs made good feet warmers.
The turnspit dog was a distinct breed, specially bred by British dog breeders for the job.
Charles Darwin often cited the turnspit dog as an example of selective breeding and genetic engineering.
He once wrote, Look at the spit dog.
Thats an example of how people can breed animals to suit a specific need.
“Whiskey,” a taxidermied turnspit dog on display at the Abergavenny Museum in Wales.
Photo: The Kitchen Sisters
In 1750, turnspits were everywhere in Great Britain.
Eventually, they entirely replaced dogs and the breed died out.
