Old Cornish units of measurement explained
The old Cornish units of measurement were used in the 1700s and based on English measurements in their name and rough size, although had slight difference in their values.[1]
Area
Table of Cornish Area and equivalent units! Unit! Relative to Previous ! Square yard! Cornish AcreCornish Fathing Land | 12 Knight's Fee | 145200 | 48 |
Cornish Knight's Fees | 4 Cornish Acres | 12100 | 4 |
Cornish Acre | 4 Cornish Ferlings | 3025 | 1 |
Cornish Ferling | 9 Cornish Rods | 756.25 | |
Cornish Rod | 5 Cornish Leases | 84 | |
Cornish Lease | 2 Cornish Lorghs | 16.8 | |
Cornish Lorgh | 4 Cornish Sticks | 8.4 | |
Cornish Sticks | of a Cornish Lorgh | 2.1 | | |
Richard Carew's Survey of Cornwall (1602) says:[2]
Cornish acre – 120 statute acres (or possibly 64), 8 score lease. Equal to 0.066 Acres.Cornish ferling/farthing – ¼ a Cornish acreCornish lease – four sticksCornish stick – four yards, three yards squareCornish Knight's fee – four Cornish acresCornish rod – 160 lace to a Cornish acre, 36sq. rodsCornish lace – 18 ft squareCornish land rod/lorgh – half a lace, 9 ft square
Length
Table of Cornish length and equivalent units! Unit! Equivalent Cornish Fathom | 5 ft |
Cornish Mile | 1.5 miles | |
Capacity
Table of Cornish Capacity and equivalent units! Unit! Equivalent Cornish Bushel | 3 Winchester bushels |
Cornish gallon | 10 lb |
Cornish apple gallon | 7 lb | |
Mass
Table of Cornish Mass and equivalent units! Unit! EquivalentCornish ton/mining ton | 21 cwt |
Cornish pound | 18 ounces (butter) | |
Fish
Table of Cornish Fish Measurements ! Unit! RelativeCornish Warp | 4 Fish |
Cornish Burn | 21 Fish |
Cornish Hundred | 132 Fish |
Cornish Mease | 505 Herrings |
Cornish Cran | 800 Herrings |
Cornish Long Hundred | 8 times 120+5 Fish |
Cornish Last | 132,000 Fish |
Cornish Ounce | 16th part (of either a sein of fish or property) | |
Sources
- Thornton B. Edwards, Cornish! a Dictionary of Phrases, Terms and Epithets Beginning with the word "Cornish", 2005.
Notes and References
- Web site: What is a Cornish acre? . www.sizes.com . 31 October 2022.
- Book: Carew . Richard . The Survey of Cornwall by . 1769 . 36 . 22 August 2018.