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Le Chandelier  |  The Candlemaker

Before the advent of electricity, candles were an essential source of light. They were the only way of illuminating one's home or place of business. The role of the candlemaker in society was vital.

In French, the profession of candlemaker is called two different names, based on the substance used to make the candle. A "chandelier" made and sold candles produced with tallow, the substance obtained by melting animal fat (sheep or cows). The "cirier", another word meaning candlemaker or something closer to "wax-maker" ("cire" means wax), made and sold candles produced with beeswax. Some "ciriers" also produced wax for letters and seals, sold to companies and colonial authorities. Another term used in French was "ciergier" ("cierge" was a type of candle used in churches).

If the candlemaker produced candles from tallow, he would normally obtain it from local butchers (or collect it from housewives). A mixture of sheep and beef tallow was best, though pork could also be used (but it was the foulest-smelling option). Tallow could be stored for long periods of time without refrigeration, as long as it was kept in a sealed container to prevent oxidization. The cost of tallow candles was less expensive, making them more affordable for the average person living in New France. Their biggest downside was the unpleasant smell they emitted, due to the glycerine contained in tallow. The light produced was reddish and they could be smoky. But the light was bright enough to sew or read, and, when the days were much shorter, eat a meal.

Beeswax was obtained from beekeepers, who collected and purified it. Beeswax never went bad; it could also be heated and reused. Wax candles were mostly used in churches and by the upper classes of society. They were deemed to be of higher quality than tallow candles: they shone brighter, burned more slowly and didn't give off any bad smells. They were more expensive, however, due to the incredible amount of wax needed to make a single candle.    

There were two main ways of making candles, regardless of the material used: dipping or using molds.

With dipping, the tallow or wax was melted in a large pot of hot water. Once melted, the tallow or wax would be skimmed off the top and put into another pot, which had to be kept warm (a sieve might be used to remove any impurities). Beside this pot, another pot was filled with cold water. One or several cotton wicks would be attached to a stick or branch, a large nail affixed to the end of each wick, then lowered into the wax or tallow. It was removed quickly, a thin layer of tallow or wax sticking to the wick, then plunged into the cold water to harden it. This process was repeated until the candle had the desired thickness. The bottom would be flattened, and the candle would be hung to dry. Its shape was never perfect; it usually had to be polished and straightened.

With molds, the beginning of the candle-making process was the same, with the tallow or wax being melted and impurities removed. The hot substance would then be transferred into a container with a spout for pouring. A wick was inserted into each mold, then the molds would be filled with the hot tallow or wax.

The occupation of candlemaker became less important towards the end of the 18th century with the arrival of oil and gas lamps.

In English, the candlemaker could also be called a chandler.

Known persons who had the occupation of candlemaker: Jean Drogni, Luke Gambie, Jacques Guishaud, Guillaume-Michel Isab, Gilles Parisé, Thomas Richards, Guillaume Vanier dit Fontaine, Joseph Winter

Known persons who had the occupation of master candlemaker: Claude Chaussefoin, Jean-Baptiste Deroigny dit Parisien, Antoine Gardien, Thomas Richards, Joseph Winter

Known persons who had the occupation of candlemaker-merchant: Louis Droigny, Jean Baptiste Dubois, Thomas Richards

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Sources:

• Jeanne Pomerleau, Arts et métiers de nos ancêtres : 1650-1950 (Montréal: Guérin, 1994), 118-127.

• Francis Renout, "Le cirier et le chandelier," Cercle généalogique du Pays de Caux Saine Maritime (https://www.geneacaux.fr/spip/spip.php?article206), 10 May 2016.

• Adjutor Rivard, "La chandelle," in the La Tribune : journal hebdomadaire, 28 May 1920, 6, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (https://collections.banq.qc.ca/ark:/52327/4181582).  

• "Candlemaker," The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project (Ann Arbor: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library, 2010). http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.411. Originally published as "Chandelier," Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, vol. 2 (plates) (Paris, 1765).

• Office québécois de la langue française, "Bougie et chandelle," Banque de dépannage linguistique, Gouvernement du Québec (http://bdl.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/bdl/gabarit_bdl.asp?id=4009).