The Curse of the Saltpetre Men || History of Gunpowder

This week Paul tells us a dark tale from the history of gunpowder. It was not just soldiers and armies whose lives are worsened by the advent of the gunpowder age but that of the common householder as well.
Imagine the state barging into your home and wrecking it all in the name of ammunition production. Well imagine no longer, in 17th Century England this was a very real threat.
Filmed on location at Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings, in particular the Tudor Merchant House.
Music: Gaiety in the Golden Age - Aaron Kenny - TH-cam Audio Library
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[@ForeignField]

We filmed this at the beautiful Avoncroft Museum. It's a fantastic place for both historians and photographers and we really recommend it. They've got a range of events on throughout the year (when we're all allowed out). You can visit them at www.avoncroft.org.uk. Hope you enjoy these videos and please drop us a sub :)

[@panzermacher]

Why are you slapping a Hogshead with Iron Hoops?
Powder Casks where much smaller with either sapling or Copper Hoops to minimize sparks, numbnutz

[@JohnDoe-rx3vn]

"Taking the piss" origin discovered

[@ForeignField]

You're welcome :)

[@slimjim7411]

From the title I was thinking this was going to be more about guys exposed to mass amounts of saltpeter finding out their peter's no longer worked. Hence the curse of the saltpeter. lol Still very interesting.

[@nexus6163]

Thanks you’ve saved me from watching this video. False alarm

[@Green.Country.Agroforestry]

Brilliant stuff! I have a gardening channel, and am in the midst of making nitre much like the saltpetre men of old (although on a much less grand a scale) with the aim of providing a novel source of fertilizer. Recently, someone left a comment doubting the veracity of the claim that nitre men went looking beneath the pews - I referenced the book "Charles I" published in 1968, and lo, here I find you citing the document upon which that claim was made.

[@terrycurzon1318]

Yes I read that’s where the phrase taking the piss came from the king was hated for all the taxes he introduced and above all that he was now ‘taking the piss’ also the origin of another well used phrase, the home owners would say to the saltpetre men here is your (bucket of) piss, now be off…later shortened to ‘piss off’….. and, if there was not enough saltpetre in the gunpowder mix it would simply ‘Peter out’

[@vaclavcervinka65]

Very interesting. Keep up the good work!

[@cristianpopescu78]

Awesome documentary!Thanks!

[@ForeignField]

Thank you very much. Kind words like these keep us going.

[@Cookingbutfailing]

great video was exactly what i was looking for

[@domenigo97]

That's exactly what I was looking for!
Thank you

[@griffin5226]

Ever think about make a video demonstrating the methods used by saltpetremen?

[@theproprod211]

Bruh what r u tryna do?

[@NeapolitanNegus]

@@theproprod211 making saltpetre, what do you think?

[@alifr4088]

Digging people houses?

[@MagicandStars497]

great video thank you for uploading 💚💜💖

[@damianbutterworth2434]

My house was built around 1827 and all the walls have saltpetre coming out of them. Just got a 1 foot square of plaster drop off. Was looking for a video of trying to get rid of it. They might of been cheaper than local builders and could borrow the Nissan Micra to take it away. :)

[@leanman9900]

Give me the saltpeter pls

[@sebastienloyer9471]

British fair play at it's best.
Nothing changed in 1500 year's

[@FroggyFrog9000]

So thats where "taking the piss" comes from!!!

[@SgtAndrewM]

always wondered where the source was, thanks for the video

[@keithlynch3169]

Interesting video!

[@Wolfsbane909]

you can also use saltpeter for pickling salmon!

[@Armando-sl5ly]

I was under the false impression that a fellows peter was salted as in salt cod fish for the purpose of preservation ....sounds very odd to me ... Preserving it for whom? Or what purpose?

[@johndicus123]

I suppose houses were pretty grubby then, what with people peeing on their dirt floor in the corners, and along hallways... and under church pews.

[@controlledchaos8851]

Well damn 😳

[@american7169]

Salt from the Peter, I get it now!

[@bobbycraigue725]

When was the word, "Salt Peter" first used? I guess the salt is from the taste...is the word peter from peeing? Thank you for the great video!

[@JamesKennedy-zs8go]

The Peter is Latin for rock.. Petra

[@justinpatterson5291]

Taking the piss both figuratively and literally...

[@sebastienloyer9471]

Brits where at war with France
Because of theyr own demized

[@sausage4mash]

im left with more questions than answers , but good video thanks