(7)

CHA P. II.

Concerning English Money, Weights, Measures, &c.

20.

HE things expreffed by numbers, are Money, Weight,

T Measure, Time, &c. Of the three firft of thefe,

there are infinite kinds and varieties, according to the diverfity of the feveral Commonwealths wherein they are ufed; all which here to produce were both endless and needlefs: Wherefore only fuch Money, Weights, Meafures, &c. as are used in this nation, will be here treated of.

21. The leaft piece of money ufed in England is a Farthing, from whence this following Table is produced.

English (or Sterling) Money, is ordinarily written down with Figures, after this manner :

The firft Rank of the faid Numbers fignifies thirty-four pounds thirteen fhillings five-pence two farthings; the fecond Rank expreffes nine pounds five fhillings ten-pence one farthing; the third Rank, fixty-nine pounds no fhillings fix-pence three farthings, &c.

22. The smallest weight used in England is a Grain, that is, the weight of a grain of wheat, well dried, and gathered out of the middle of the ear, of which thirty-two make another weight, called a Penny-weight, and twenty penny-weights make an Ounce Troy *.

Here obferve, that by the Statutes quoted in the margin †, the weight of two and thirty grains of wheat, make a pennyweight, which weight being once difcovered by thirty-two fuch grains, the faid penny-weight (being the twentieth part of an ounce Troy) is ufually fubdivided into twenty-four parts only, called alfo Grains, as appears by the enfuing Table.

B 4

* Vide Stat. de Compofitione Ponderum, 51 Hen. III.
31 Ed. I. v. Raft, Weights. 7, & 8. 12 Hen. VII. 5.

A TABLE of TROY-WEIGHTS.

32 Grains of Wheat

24 Grains

20 Penny-weights

12 Ounces

24 Artificial Grains.

Troy-weight is ordinarily fet down with Figures, after this

The firft Rank of the faid Numbers expreffes feventeen pounds five ounces thirteen penny-weights, thirteen grains of Troy-weight: The fecond Rank, no pounds eleven ounces feven penny-weights fix grains; and the third, no pounds no ounces five penny-weights and twenty grains.

Now this Troy-weight ferves only to weigh Gold, Silver, and Electuaries. And here obferye alfo, that Troy-weight regulates and prescribes a form how to keep the money of England at a certain Standard: For about two hundred years before the conqueft, Ofbright a Saxon, being then King of England, caufed an ounce Troy of filver to be divided into twenty pieces, at the same time called pence; and so an ounce of filver at that time was worth no more than twenty-pence, or one fhilling eight-pence; which continued at the fame value until the time of Henry the Sixth, who (in regard of the enhancing of money in foreign parts) valued the fame at thirtypence; fo that then there were accordingly thirty pieces made out of the ounce, and the old pieces went then for three halfpence, 'till the time of Edward the Fourth, who valued the ounce at forty-pence, and then the old pieces went at twopence apiece. After this Henry the Eighth valued the ounce of Sterling-filver at forty-five pence, which value continued 'till Queen Elizabeth's time, who valued the fame old pence at three-pence the piece; fo that all three-pences coined by the fame Queen weigh'd but a penny-weight, and every fix-pence two penny-weights; and the fhilling and other pieces accordingly; which made the ounce Troy of filver to be valued at fixty. pence, or five fhillings, as it remains at this day without. alteration.

Note

Note, Jewels, Pearls, Diamonds, &c. are also weigh'd by Troy-weight, the Ounce being fubdivided into 150 parts, called Carats, and each Carat into 4 Grains.

23. The weights used by Apothecaries are derived from a pound Troy, which is fubdivided, as in the following Table.

So that if you were to exprefs, in Figures, twelve pounds ten ounces five drams two fcruples and fixteen grains; alfo three pounds five ounces feven drams one fcruple and two grains, the ordinary way to write them down is thus:

By thefe weights Apothecaries compound their medicines ; but they buy and fell their drugs by Avoirdupoife-weight. 24. Besides Troy-weight before-mentioned, there is another kind of weight used in England, called Avoirdupoife-weight, a pound whereof is equal to fourteen ounces eleven penny-weights fixteen grains Troy. Avoirdupoife-weight ferves to weigh all kinds of Grocery-ware, as alfo Butter, Cheese, Flesh, Tallow, Wax, Tobacco, Iron, Brafs, Lead, Tin, Soap, Pitch, Tar, Rofin, Salt, Flax, Hemp, Drugs, and every other thing that bears the name of Garbel, and from which iffues a refuse or waste.

25. Avoirdupoife-weight is either greater or less.

26. The greater is, when one hundred and twelve pounds Avoirdupoife are confidered as one entire weight, commonly called an Hundred-weight, and then fuch Hundred-weight is subdivided first into four quarters, and each quarter into twentyeight pounds: Again, each pound into four quarters, or (if you will be more exact) into fixteen ounces, and if you please each ounce into four quarters. But ordinarily a pound is the leaft quantity that is taken notice of, in Avoirdupoife grofs weights.

A

A TABLE of AVOIRDUPOISE Greater WEIGHT.

28 Pounds

4 Quarters

20 Hundred weights

}make{

A Quarter of 112 lb.
An Hundred-weight, or 112lb.

One Tun.

So that if you were to exprefs, by Figures, eight hundreds three quarters and five pounds; likewife, feven hundreds one quarter and seventeen pounds; the ordinary way to set them down is

thus :

1

27. The leffer Avoirdupoise-weight is, when a Pound is the highest name or integer, each pound being fubdivided into fixteen ounces, and each ounce again into fixteen drams, and if you please each dram into four quarters, as by the subsequent Table is manifeft.

ATABLE of AVOIRDUPOISE Leffer WEIGHT.
4 Quarters of a Dram

16 Drams

16 Ounces

}make{

I Dram.

I Ounce.

I Pound.

So that if you were to express, by Figures, eighteen pounds twelve ounces five drams and three quarters of a dram ; likewife five pounds no ounces twelve drams and one quarter of a dram; the ordinary way to write them down is thus:

N. B. A Stone of Meat in London, is 8lb. Avoirdupoife; but in fome other places 14 lb.

A Stone of Wool, is 14lb. and two Stones make a Todd.
A Stone Horfeman's weight, is 14lb.

A Stone of Hemp, is 32 lb.

A Fother of Lead is 19 C. wt.

28. The Measures used in England are either of Capacity,

or Length.

29. The Measures of Capacity are those which are produced from weight, and they are either liquid or dry.

30. All Measures of Capacity, both liquid and dry, were at firft made from Troy-weight: Vide Statutes, 9 Henry III. 51 Henry III. 12 Henry VII. &c. wherein it is enacted, that eight Pounds Troy-weight of wheat, gathered out of the middle of the ear, and well dried, fhould make one Gallon of Wine-meafure And that there fhould be but one Measure for Wine, Ale and Corn, throughout this Realm. (Vid. Stat. 14 Edw. III. 15 Richard II.) But time and cuftom hath altered Measures, as they have done Weights (and perhaps for one and the fame reafon); for now we have three different Measures, viz. one for Wine, one for Ale or Beer, and one for Corn.

31. The common Wine-gallon, feal'd at Guild-hall in London, by which all Wines, Brandies, Spirits, Strong-waters, Mead, Perry, Cyder, Vinegar, Oil and Honey, &c. are measured and fold, is fuppofed to contain 231 cubic Inches; and from thence the reft are computed, as in this Table.

Note, 31 Gallons is a Wine or Vinegar Barrel, and 236 Gallons is a Tun of fweet Oil,

32. The Beer or Ale Gallon (which are both one) is much larger than the Wine Gallon; it being probably made at firft to correfpond with Avoirdupoife-weight, as the Wine-gallon did with Troy-weight: For one pound Avoirdupoife being nearly equal to 14 ounces 12 penny-weights Troy: And as one pound Troy is in-proportion, to the cubic inches in a Wine-gallon, so is one pound Avoirdupoife to the cubic inches in an Ale-gallon. That is, 12: 14 13:231: 282 nearly.