Fire Bucket, "Franklin Fire Company of Charlestown, MA"

Franklin, Benjamin · 1830

This bucket belonged to Edward Carnes, Jr. (1807-1883). He is listed as a “rigger” in the 1831 Charlestown (Mass.) city directory. In later years, he would serve as the superintendent of an alms house in that area. In 1843, Edward Carnes, Jr. had the honor of riding the capstone to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument upon its completion. His father, Edward Carnes, was also a rigger, and was the first foreman of Warren Engine No. 4 in Charlestown. Edward Carnes, Jr. was a member of the Franklin Fire Society in Charlestown. Such neighborhood organizations were common in the Boston area in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Officers were elected from a membership that ranged from 10 to 30 men, each required to have leather buckets, bags, and tools like bed keys in good order and at the ready. In the event of a fire, members brought these to the scene with the intention of saving the property of other society members. A doorkeeper was often appointed to guard the property and a password used to prevent looters from entering. This bucket appears to have been painted the year the society was organized.