Tumbrel

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.

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

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

References

1. "Tumbrel".
2. "Tumbrel". Retrieved 28 May 2014.
3. "Tumbrel". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
4. Chris Marshall. "The Medieval Tumbrel". Retrieved 2014-02-04.