There is something about original documents that is fascinating... the handwriting, the casual references that are strange to our time, etc. I have a copy of some Inverneil Estate papers on microfilm, and am in the process of working through them a second time, in order to smarten up my knapdalepeople data base.
Two items have jostled their way to my attention, and it would be marvellous if someone out there has anything to say about either:
1. in determining the volume of grain, etc., owed by the tenant, the papers use "pecks" according to "Auchinbreck Measure."
and
2. the leases were (in 1819 at least) based on "... Reservations and Conditions and Regulations and Rotation of Tillage expressed and contained in .... the first BOOK OF SETS OF THE ESTATES OF TAYNISH, ULVA AND DANNA...."
Well, pecks would be the measurement for pickled peppers, wouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteA peck was one of the measurements we learned at shool ( a long time ago)
ReplyDeleteIn the dictionary it says 'a container used for the measuring of dry goods and equivalent to 9.092 ltrs. or 554.84 cub.ins.
alice