What is a barrelmaker's 'hausard'?

[tkay11]

I came across the term 'un hausard' in the inventory of a French ship of 1766 under the list of items in the barrelmaker's store.

 

I searched diligently through contemporary French dictionaries and books, as well as looking up old barrelmakers' tools, but could find no such word.

 

Does anyone have a suggestion?

 

Thanks

 

Tony

[druxey]

Au hasard is random: i.e. broken down barrels into staves. Perhaps either period spelling or misprint?

[tkay11]

Thanks, druxey. I thought of that briefly, but it does appear as a single item, un hausard, in a long list.

 

Tony

[Keith Black]

 Tony, I think you're correct. From what I gather "un hansard" = report. FWIW, I think "un hansard" was a report/record written by the Cooper and the person who was compiling the inventory was so impressed by the ability of the Cooper to make a written report/record that he  included it in the inventory. 

[Mark P]

Good Evening Tony;

 

To follow up on Druxey's answer, it is possible that the words are 'au hazard', which has an English equivalent, 'at hazard', meaning 'as chance may make it', approximately. Depends upon the context, really, as to whether or not this is a likelihood. 

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

[druxey]

We are all hazarding a guess!

[tkay11]

Thanks everyone for the hazardous guesswork.

You'll note that the tille (hatchet)

, couteau (knife) and hausard are all linked by a bracket saying they belong to the  barrelmaker.

This makes it look very much like the hausard is a tool, rather than a report.

Keep the ideas coming!

Tony

 

FUTAILLES ET USTENCILES DE TONNELIER.pdf

[bruce d]

Tony, we all love a good mystery. Perhaps these people can help?

https://cooperstoolmuseum.com/

They have a contact form within the site.

 

HTH

Bruce

[Keith Black]

 

 Let's get Sandra in here and see if she can shed some light on "un hausard"

[Keith Black]

 Sandra doesn't receive PMs so I posted a request for her to join the discussion on her new member introduction. Hopefully she'll have the opportunity to stop by. 

[RichardG]

Or ask these folks - https://www.tonnelleriebaron.com/en/tools-and-techniques-of-the-cooperage/. 

 

 

[G. Delacroix]

Hello

There was a small error in the transcription of the manuscript and it seems that it is not "hausard" but "hansard". It is a word originating from Normandy whose modern French synonym is "scie égoïne". It is an alteration of the English "hand saw".

 

GD

 

A "scie égoïne" :

[Sandra]

Very sorry to arrive "after the battle" and pleased you were able to solve the mystery.

I will set my profile to receive PMs.

 

I'll be happy to help with French terms whenever I can.  

[tkay11]

That's great. Mystery solved. Thanks to everyone for chipping in.

 

Special thanks to Gérard for the combined research, answer and photo.

 

Welcome also to Sandra, to whom no doubt many of us will return in the future.

 

Tony

[tkay11]

It's also rather nice, but etymologically probably incorrect, that 'hansard' sounds rather like 'handsaw'.

 

It's also possible that memories were triggered by Keith Black's proposal of 'hansard' as the misprint.

 

What a nice forum!

 

Tony

[druxey]

If the original was in manuscript, 'u' and 'n' are easily coufnsed, I mean confused!

[tkay11]

You're right, druxey. Even in re-reading my own handwriting, I often can't see the difference between the way I write 'n' and 'u'. Not so easy to muddle them when typing on a keyboard, which has confusions of its own.

 

Tony

[Keith Black]

3 hours ago, tkay11 said:

It's also possible that memories were triggered by Keith Black's proposal of 'hansard' as the misprint.

 

 Tony, it was David (druxey) who suggested it was a misprint. 

 

21 hours ago, druxey said:

Perhaps either period spelling or misprint?

 

[wefalck]

Checked on 'hansard' yesterday, as confusing 'u' and 'n' is quite frequent, but none of my dictionaries knew this vernacular term from Normandy ... learned something