THE CAPACITY OF BRITISH LIQUID MEASURES
Taken from – Marks and Markings of Weights and Measures of The British Isles by Carl Ricketts with John Douglas.
The following is but the simplest of detail taken from this very fine book. Carl Ricketts has provided me with a ten page article which covers the subject in far more detail than the relatively straightforward tables copied and shown here. I will be pleased to email a copy of the article to any who would wish to further test their interest before attempting to obtain a copy of the book from either the author directly or from The Pewter Society.
The Collector’s Interest
Measuring capacity is not difficult although interpreting the results can be a problem. We should measure all old vessels for the eye alone cannot easily distinguish what measurement may reveal. Differences in proportions can mask both over- and under-capacity, and result in historically interesting items passing unnoticed. N.B. having an ‘unusual’ capacity does not automatically place the object earlier than c1826 as many local and customary measures continued to be used regionally during most of the 19th Century. They give interest through their mute testimony to the strength of regional and local preferences and the tenacity of both the trade and the public in continuing to use them. Thankfully from our viewpoint they frustrated Parliament’s intentions, which legislated for their removal in the 1835 Act 5 & 6 Will IV c63.
BRITISH PRE-IMPERIAL CAPACITY STANDARDS
in3 fl.oz
Used in England and Wales Old English Ale Gallon (1700 Act 11 Will III c13 c282 c162 Winchester or Corn Gallon (1697 Act 8 & 9 Will III c22) c272 c157 Old English Wine Gallon (1706 Act 5 Anne c27) c231 c133 Used in Ireland c217 c125 Irish Gallon (1495 Irish Act 10 Hen VII c22 confirmed by 1736 Act Geo II c9
Used in Scotland Scots Ale Pint (18th Century Glasgow Standard) c111 c64 Stirling Jug/Scots Wine Pint (defined 1618 Scots Act) c105 c80
ALIQUOT PARTS OF LIQUID MEASURES WITH NAMES & CAPACITIES (in fl. oz.) I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X 3/4 1/2 1 Pint 1 Gill Gallon 3 1/2 ENGLISH GALLONS Gallon Quart 1/2 Pint or 1/2 or or Pints Pint Pint 3 Gill Quartern Bottle Gills Imperial 160.0 80 60 40 30 20 15 10 7.5 5 Old English Ale 162.7 81.4 61 40.7 30.5 20.3 15.2 10.2 7.6 5.1 Winchester 156.9 78.5 39.2 19.6 9.8 4.9 (1641 Pottle* 144.2 72.1 54 36 27 18 13.5 9 6.8 4.5 Old English Wine 133.2 66.6 50 33.3 25 16.7 12.5 8.3 6.2 4.2 IRISH GALLON 125.5 62.8 31.4 15.7 7.8 3.9 (1/2 (Bottle) ‘REPUTED QUART’ 106.3 53.1 Bottle) 6.6 3.3 26.6 13.3 Mutchkin or 1/2 SCOTS PINTS Pint Chopin Gill 4 Gills Mutchkin
Scots Ale 64.3 32.1 16.1 8 4 Scots Stirling Jug 60.6 30.3 15.1 7.6 3.8 JERSEY POT Pot Quart Pint 1/2 Pint Noggin
(1/10th Cabot) 69.5 34.75 17.4 8.7 4.3 * John Renold’s 1641 Pottle is an extant standard (wine) measure based on a gallon of c250 cubic inches which probably represented the continuing use of Henry VII’s wine standard. The Guernsey gallon was of equivalent capacity. CONVERSION FACTOR: 1 FLUID OUNCE = 28.413 MILLILITRES Used in Channel Islands Jersey Pot (1/10th Cabot - 16th Century Jersey Standard) c121 c70 Guernsey Gallon (2nd Report W & M Commission 1819) c252 c145 EXAMPLES OF MARKS INDICATING PRE-IMPERIAL CAPACITY Old English Ale Standard Scots Standards Old English Wine Standard
4 3 WINE 5 5 I G 6 I S 4 I S
Scots Ale Scots
Stirling A rare mark on a mug c1790 by William Bancks of Bewdley to show it was of Old English Ale standard capacity Other examples of relationship marks engraved on pewter vessels:
1/40 IG "1/42nd of an Imperial Gallon" "One Sixth less than an Imperial Pint" Scots Ale Gill (4.0 fl.oz) Scots Stirling Gill (3.8 fl.oz) Wine Pint (16.7 fl.oz) "Warranted Winchester Measure" On pearlware mug (19.5 fl oz Winchester Measure) dating from last quarter of the 18th Century