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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: bristolloggerheads on Sunday 19 August 12 17:21 BST (UK)

Title: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: bristolloggerheads on Sunday 19 August 12 17:21 BST (UK)
(http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt276/bristolloggerheads/1728UOM.jpg)

Does this say 150 lbs of shoes? You'll see that worsted stuff has the same unit of measurement.

Peter
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: Dulaigh on Sunday 19 August 12 17:39 BST (UK)
Pr for pair
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: miggins on Sunday 19 August 12 17:54 BST (UK)
Hi bristolloggerheads

I was wondering if the worsted stuff was wrapped in something that was referred to as a 'shoe'?   It may be an old term used by cloth weavers.

Regards

miggins
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: Koromo on Sunday 19 August 12 19:44 BST (UK)

It looks like ℓds  — I wonder if it means loads.

From A Dictionary of Units of Measurement:

"In Britain prior to modern times, a load was sometimes a standardized unit, but it varied with the commodity being carried. A typical size was 40 bushels (roughly 1.4 cubic meters)."

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/

But then again, there would be an awful lot of shoes in 210m3 !!   :-\
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: bristolloggerheads on Sunday 19 August 12 20:42 BST (UK)
It is an official customs record so I would expect it to be a defined measure - it does look like "ld" though.
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: pinot on Monday 20 August 12 00:35 BST (UK)
Is 'lbs' an option?
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: KGarrad on Monday 20 August 12 08:18 BST (UK)
Are you sure it's a measurement, and not a check-mark?

E.G. somebody's initials, after checking the quantities?
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: mike175 on Monday 20 August 12 08:33 BST (UK)
Difficult to say without more context, but loads seems the most likely.

I believe a "load" would be the amount that could be carried on a cart pulled by a horse: usually about a ton for heavy goods, but lighter items would be limited by volume (40 bushels of grain weighs roughly 1 ton)

If this is a Customs record it probably refers to ships' cargoes so 210 m3 would not be unreasonable.

Mike.
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: miggins on Monday 20 August 12 09:46 BST (UK)
Hi

Any chance it might just be an archaic way of writing yards?!!!

miggins
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: bristolloggerheads on Monday 20 August 12 18:43 BST (UK)
lbs is the only suggestion which seems to fit both shoes and worsted stuff (worsted yarn was measured by weight and not length). They are definately not check marks - note the "C" for hundredweight above the bottom line.
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: 1pds on Monday 20 August 12 19:26 BST (UK)
Quote from: KGarrad on Monday 20 August 12 08:18 BST (UK)
Are you sure it's a measurement, and not a check-mark?

E.G. somebody's initials, after checking the quantities?

I think KGarard's suggestion is good.  If you take a pen and paper and write it out in your own hand, it's hard to make lbs or lds...
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: KGarrad on Monday 20 August 12 19:40 BST (UK)
The loop seems to be horizontal, rather than the vertical loop of an "l"?

I just can't see "lbs" in that at all? ;D ;D
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: 1pds on Monday 20 August 12 19:47 BST (UK)
Nor me...  :-\
Title: Re: What is this unit of measurement from 1728?
Post by: bristolloggerheads on Monday 20 August 12 22:30 BST (UK)
The 1675 Act of Tonnage and Poundage states that old shoes are to be counted in hundred dozen pairs and new shoes in pounds weight.

Worsted however is by the piece although all types of yarn are by the pound.