Casgliadau Arlein

A slate known in the slate industry as ‘crawan gownt’ or stock slate/accounting slate, which has been used for figures and calculations i.e. to record output – the number of slates produced.

The slate is carefully lined and bears a mass of figures and calculations. Figures are entered against the names of the quarrymen under the size and type of slate produced. Accross the top of the slates are various sizes of slates e.g. 24x14, 24x12, 14x8. Vertically along each slate are the initials of different quarrymen and where they live e.g. HW Llanllyfni, MT Penygroes.

Slates were used rather than paper notebooks as paper would get wet on rainy days. A square of slate was preferred as whatever was written on it will not wash off. A slate inspector would usually transfer the figures from the slate into the conventional account books.