 A chandler is a person that makes candles.  There are three different kinds of candles that a chandler can make, tallow candles, Bayberry candles, and spermaceti candles.  A chandler is never very welcome because of their stench. The wax and grease they use stinks badly.  A chandler mainly only works in their own house to save time and money.( Women mainly, because the men worked outside.)

 Tallow Candles: Tallow candles are made out of animal fats.  Bayberry Candles: Bayberry candles are made out of bay berries.  Spermaceti Candles: Spermaceti candles are made out of whale sperm.

 If you are a traveler, you are a person that goes around to other peoples’ houses, and you make candles there.  You make it at their house, give them the candles that you made there, and they pay you in wax, oil, or other things that you need to make candles with.  After you are done with one house, you would go to the next house, and do the same.  You rarely ever got paid in money.

 When you make candles, you have to do a lot of dipping.  You normally would have three barrels, one filled with cold water, one filled with wax, and another filled with hot water.  When you make candles, you would take a wick, dip it in cold water, then wax, then hot water, then wax, then cold water etc.  Once the candle was big enough, you are done.

 Candle molds are molds that are in the shape of candles.  They usually had 4 to 12 molds in each “set.”  To start, you would put a wick in each mold.  You would boil wax, then pour the wax into the mold.  You then would wait until the candle was dry, and then you just made 4 to 12 candles.  People made candles this way because it was faster.

As an apprentice of a traveling chandler, work is hard. I wake up before the sun rises to gather enough supplies for the candles we are going to need that day. After my master and I eat our breakfast of a roll and an egg, we head out to our first job, the Henderson’s. With us, we brought our mold of 12 candles. We unfortunately only had enough wax for 9 though. While we were waiting for the candles to dry, my master and I talked with the Hendersons. It took about four hours for the candles to dry. I give Mr. Henderson the newley made candles, and he gives me my pay, 2 jars of oil. That oil, I will use on the house tomorrow. It is evening, and I just finished my supper of stew and another roll. I will go to bed now, to have an early start on tomorrow. Good night.