Tumbrel

19th-century illustration of a tumbrel conveying prisoners to the guillotine

A tumbrel (alternatively tumbril) is a two-wheeled cart or wagon typically designed to be hauled by a single horse or ox. Their original use was for agricultural work; in particular they were associated with carrying manure. Their most infamous use was taking prisoners to the guillotine during the French Revolution.[1][2] They were also used by the military for hauling supplies.[2] In this use, the carts were sometimes covered. The two wheels allowed the cart to be tilted to discharge its load more easily.[3][2] Many tumbrels also had hinged tailboards for the same reason.

The word is also used as a name for the ducking stool and for a type of balancing scale used in medieval times to check the weight of coins.[4]

References

  1. ^ "tumbrel". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "tumbrel". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Tumbrel". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  4. ^ Marshall, Chris. "The Medieval Tumbrel". UK Detector Finds Database. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
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