The History of Candle Making

Throughout history, Candle Making has appeared independently in countries all over the world. It seems that, as far back as the year 3000BC, the Egyptians were using beeswax in their candle making that worker bees produce from glands on their abdomens. In other locations around the world, animal fat, called tallow was used as a base for candle making. Around 200BC, the first emperor of the qin Dynasty of china, Quin Shi Huang, was buried with candles that used whale fat. Beeswax, as used by the ancient Egyptians in candle making appears to have originated in China somewhere from 40BC in the Han Dynasty to 420AD. The use of scents in candle making also seems to appear independently in different countries of the world with candles found in Indian temples using cinnamon as a fragrance.

From 1AD candle making by the indigenous people of Alaska used oil extracted from the eulachon fish, otherwise known quite appropriately as a “candle fish.” The most rudimentary candles seemed to only require the use of a dried fish impaled on a stick and ignited. Early Roman candles used tallow as a main component derived from suet. Candle making with the use of such tallow produced a candle that gave off a lot of smoke, however, and was often used in providing light for prayer.

Candle making involving tallow was simple. The tallow was melted over a fire and poured into a bronze mould into which wicks made from the pith of rushes were suspended. Excess wax would pour over the top of the mould to be collected by a trough below. In other parts of the world evidence of candle making was discovered in the Avignon region of France dating back to the first century AD, while in Tibet candles were made from Yak butter. This shows how candle making came into being all over the world, however, the methods and ingredients for their production differed greatly.

Rathbornes Candles founded in 1488 in the city of Dublin can be called the oldest company involved in candle making. Candles were not only used in the generation of light, but also for a means of keeping time. Alfred the Great, King of Wessex was known to use a candle clock that had the ability to burn for 4 hours. By marking the wax at set points the passage of each hour could be approximated. Such a design was later expanded to allow to the passing of 24 hours by simply enlarging the candle used. Candle making in the Sung Dynasty of China from 960 to 1279AD also appeared to use candles in such a capacity.

The popularity of candle making seemed to take off in the Middle Ages with their increasing use in religious ceremonies. The use of tallow as a main ingredient in candle making continued with cows and sheep being used as a main source. In 1300 The Tallow Chandlers Company was founded along with the Wax Chandlers Company. Such candle making companies profited from the use of candles as street lighting by 1415. The use of such candles in religious buildings faded in favour of those made of beeswax as the glycerine of tallow candles produces an unpleasant odour. The first moulds for mass production of candles appears to originate from Paris in the 15th century.

Candle making improved further with the use of first Spermaceti oil from the Sperm whale and then the less expensive Colza and rape seed oil. These alternatives burn clear and smokeless. Two French chemists, Michel Eugene Chavreul and Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac went on to patent a tallow that contained no glycerine that they named stearin.

Candle making took on a more manufactured role in 1834 when Joseph Morgan invented a machine that could produce 1,500 candles per hour. The ingredients used in candle making progressed further in 1850 when James Young patented the production of Paraffin from coal. This ingredient allowed for the making of candles of good quality that were also affordable.

Candle making as an industry took a major blow with the distillation of Kerosene enabling the lamp to take over. Since this discovery, candles have become more of a decorative item than anything else, with candle making adapting to this changing role.