A chandlery was originally the office in a wealthy

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

household responsible for wax and

candle A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. A person who makes candle ...

s, as well as the room in which the candles were kept. It could be headed by a chandler. The office was subordinated to the kitchen, and only existed as a separate office in larger households. Whether a separate office or not, the function was naturally an important one, in a time before

electric light An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...

, and when production of candles was often done privately. It was closely connected with other offices of the household, such as the

ewery A ewery was the office in a wealthy medieval English household responsible for water and the vessels for drinking or washing of the person. The word derives from "ewer", a type of pitcher. This office was not responsible for laundry, which was handl ...

and the scullery. While this usage is obsolete today, the term can refer to a candle business. The current meaning of "chandler" is a person who sells candles. By the 18th century, most commercial chandlers dealt in candles, oils, soap, and even paint. As these provided ships' stores, ''chandlery'' came to refer to a shop selling

nautical Seamanship is the art, knowledge and competence of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, or practice of handling a ship or boat at sea." It involves topics ...

items for ships and boats, although for a time they were called '' ship-chandleries'' to distinguish them. Americans used the term ''chandlery'' for these ship-chandleries,Palmer, Richard F. (1987) "100 years of provisioning Great Lakes ships" ''Inland seas: Quarterly Journal of the Great Lakes Historical Society'' 43(1): pp. 10–22, pages, 12, 16, 18, 21 but tended to prefer the term ''chandler's shop''. Both terms are still in use. The job function and title, ''chandler'', still exists as someone who works in the chandlery business or manages a chandler's shop. The term

chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent ...

, at one time a ceiling fixture that held a number of candles, is still used. However, today chandeliers are usually based on electrical lighting.

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External links

* {{wiktionary-inline Medieval occupations Candles

See also

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