Scots Weights, Measures and Money
posted by Scott Andrew Bird
There are a number of terms that may arise when researching Scottish ancestors that may be unfamiliar, particular in the areas of weights, measures and money.
The following is a list of some of the less well-known :
Liquid measures
| Scots |
Imperial |
Metric |
| 1 gill |
0.749 gill |
0.053 l |
| 4 gills = 1 mutchkin |
2.996 gills |
0.848 l |
| 2 mutchkins = 1 chopin |
1 pint 1.992 gills |
0.848 l |
| 2 chopins = 1 pint * |
2 pints 3.984 gills |
1.696 l |
| 8 pints = 1 gallon |
3 gallons 0.25 gills |
13.638 l |
| * 1 pint = 104.2034 cub ins |
1 pint = 34.659 cub ins |
1 litre = 61.027 cub ins |
Linear and square measures
| Scots |
Imperial |
Metric |
| 1 inch |
1.00016 in |
2.54 cm |
| 8.88 in = 1 Scots link |
8.8942 in |
22.55 cm |
| 12 in = 1 foot |
12.0192 in |
30.5287 cm |
| 3.5 feet = 1 ell |
37.0598 in |
94.1318 cm |
| 6 ells = 1 fall (fa) |
6.1766 yards (1.123 poles) |
5.6479 m |
| 4 falls = 1 chain |
24.7064 yrd (1.123 chains) |
22.5916 m |
| 10 chains = 1 furlong |
247.064 yrd (1.123 furlongs) |
225.916 m |
| 8 furlongs = 1 mile |
1976.522 yrd (1.123 miles) |
1.8073 km |
Scots weights
| Scots |
Imperial |
Metric |
| 1 drop |
1.093 drains |
1.921 g |
| 16 drops = 1 ounce |
1 oz 1.5 drains |
31 g |
| 16 ounces = 1 pound |
1 lb 1oz 8 drains |
496 g |
| 16 pounds = 1 stone |
17 lb 8 oz |
7.936 kg |
Scots Money
| Scots |
Sterling |
| 1 penny |
1/12 penny |
| 2 pennies = 1 bodle |
1/6 penny |
| 2 bodles = 1 plack |
1/3 penny |
| 3 bodles = 1 bawbee |
1/2 penny |
| 2 bawbees = 1 shilling |
1 penny |
| 13 shillings 4 pence = 1 merk |
1 shilling 1/12 pennies |
| 20 shillings = 1 pound |
1 shilling 8 pennies |
I absolutely love this show
provides a perfect look at how fascinating this type of research can be. And more practically, it demonstrates precisely how to trace your own family tree.