Colonial Candle Facts

Candles in Colonial America were made from animal fat.

In Colonial America, candle making was an important job often done by children and women. Traditionally, candles were made by processing animal fat, known as tallow. Candles were also made from beeswax. Tallow and beeswax were expensive, leaving many families struggling for a light source. Throughout Colonial times, several discoveries improved the candle-making process.

Wick Making

Wick making was often a child's chore in Colonial America. According to the Historic Harrison website, wicks were made by dipping pieces of hemp into saltpeter. Hemp was twisted and doubled to create a loop at one end. As time went on, Colonial shops offered ready-made wicks.

Tallow Process

Tallow candles were made by boiling animal fat until the water was removed and dirt could be skimmed away. According to Historic Harrison, making candles from tallow was difficult because inaccurate temperatures caused deformities. Wicks were repeatedly dipped into the tallow to thicken them enough for a night's use.

Candle Molds

The difficulties associated with tallow making led to the development of pewter and tin candle molds. Wicks were placed inside the molds, followed by hot tallow. Tallow was allowed to cool before candles were removed from the molds. This improved the candle-making process.

Bayberry Candles

Colonists developed new materials for making candles. Because tallow and beeswax were expensive, people had to look for other options. Bayberries, which were readily available, produced a clean, good-smelling candle wax. According to the Stat Sheets website, producing bayberry candles was tricky, because it was difficult to extract wax. Eight pounds of berries would yield only one pound of wax.

Whaling Industry Influences

The whaling industry that developed in the late 1700s and early 1800s brought another development to the candle-making process, according to Candle Comfort. Whalers discovered that crystalized sperm whale oil produced a clean-burning wax called spermaceti. Spermaceti became the standard material for candles and was used until the 1850s, according to the Candle Making Success Plan.

References

• Candle Comfort: History of Candles
• Historic Harrison: Candle Making
• Candle Making Success Plan: Colonial Candle Making
• Stat Sheets: Candle Making in Colonial Times