This chalk is almost certainly natural chalk, so it will still be useful if you suffer from indigestion.

It fell out of favour because apparently, after a few weeks use, it turned the cloth of the table a yellowish-green colour. Even so, John Roberts junior., used to swear by it. He wrote in 1895: “the best chalk to be got was, in my opinion, a lump taken from the English cliffs, cut into small pieces and dried, and I would recommend this now to those who do not care to go to the expense of a manufactured chalk.”

We’ve seen it still being advertised for sale in 1921, but this chalk appearss to be more of John Roberts’ vintage.

Peter ainsworth