RUTHERGLEN COMMON SCHOOL MUSEUM
The Rutherglen Common School Museum has the most excellent sets of weights and measures which were used by Government Officials in the early 19th Century to test retailer's own weights and measures. These are extremely precise instruments which, if you had to make them today, would cost a King's Ramsom.
Below are set out some of the examples of bygone weights and measures.
TROY WEIGHT
24 grains equals 1 pennyweight
20 pennyweights equals 1 ounce ( 480 grains )
12 ounces equals 1 pound ( 5760 grains )
Diamonds and Pearls are weighed by Carats, of 4 grains each, ( equal to only 3.2 Troy Grains).
The Troy ounce is equal to 150 Diamond Carats.
Gold, when pure, is said to be 24 Carats fine.
If the gold contains one part alloy, then it is said to be 23 Carats fine, and if it contains 15 parts alloy, then it is said to be 9 Carat fine.
AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT
| 20 grains equals 1 scruple | 28 pounds equals 1 quarter |
| 3 scruples equals 1 dram | 4 quarters equals 1 hundredweight ( 112 pounds ) |
| 8 drams equals 1 ounce ( 437.5 grains Troy ) | 100 pounds equals 1 central |
| 16 ounces equals 1 pound ( 7,000 grains Troy ) | 2,000 pounds equals 1 short ton |
| 14 pounds equals 1 stone | 20 hundredweights equals 1 ton ( 2240 pounds ) |
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To measure precise weights the instuments used were a set of precise balanced scales, shown above left, and some precision made weights, above right, carefully carried in padded, specially designed boxes.
APOTHECARIES MEASURE OF CAPACITY
| 60 minims equals 1 dram | 2 gallons equals 1 peck |
| 8 drams equals 1 ounce | 4 pecks equals 1 bushel |
| 5 ounces equals 1 gill | 8 bushels equals 1 quarter |
| 4 gills equals 1 pint | 5 quarters equals 1 load |
| 2 pints equals 1 quart | 36 bushels equals 1 chaldron |
| 4 quarts equals 1 gallon | 36 gallons equals 1 barrel |
A bushel of wheat on average weighs 60 pounds
A bushel of barley on average weighs 47 pounds
A bushel of oats on average weighs 40 pounds
A gallon contains 10 pounds of distilled water
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To precisely measure capacity, the Government Inspectors used the magnificently made units shown above. On the right is a measure for a Standard Gallon, which is 8 pints or 4 quarts.
On the left in the foreground is the instument for measuring a Quart, which is 2 pints. Not photographed is an instrument for measuring a bushel, which is 8 gallons or 64 pints. Just imagine carrying the "pan" from shop to shop and from town to town.
On the left in the background is a "jug" for measuring a pint.
Another item not in the photographs is a very thick and extremely heavy Yard Ruler, with precise markings of inches, feet and of course 3 feet making the yard.
MEASURES OF LENGTH
| 3 barley corns equals 1 inch | 5.5 yards equals 1 pole, or perch, or rod |
| 3 inches equals 1 palm | 4 poles equals 1 chain |
| 4 inches equals 1 hand | 22 yards equals 1 chain |
| 7.92 inches equals 1 link | 100 links equals 1 chain |
| 9 inches equals 1 span | 10 chains equals 1 furlong |
| 12 inches equals 1 foot | 8 furlongs equals 1 mile ( 1760 yards ) |
| 18 inches equals 1 cubit | 3 miles equals 1 league |
| 30 inches equals 1 pace | 608 feet equals 1 cable |
| 3 feet equals 1 yard | 10 cables equals 1 nautical mile |
| 6 feet equals 1 fathom |
6080 feet equals 1 nautical mile ( 2027 yards )
6087 feet equals 1 geographical mile ( 2029 yards )
SQUARE MEASURES
144 square inches equals 1 square foot
9 square feet equals 1 square yard
30.25 square yards equals 1 square pole
40 square poles equals 1 rood
4 roods equals 1 acre
640 acres equals 1 square mile
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