I take rood and rod to be identical linear measures. A rod pole or perch is
a linear measure of 6.5 yards; 4 rods = 1 chain. 80 chains=1 mile. Local
usage (probably usually medieval) varies, for selions in the open fields
were sometimes 4 rods wide. However, in 1790, I would expect the statute
measure of 6.5 yards to be used. The perch used for area (30.25 square
yards) is actually a square (linear) rod or perch; 40 perches=1 rood; 4
roods=1 acre.
Peter King
49, Stourbridge Road,
Hagley,
Stourbridge
West Midlands
DY9 0QS
01562-720368
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-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Peter Bell
Sent: 20 April 2010 00:58
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A Building Rood
I fear the difficulty may be worse than you think, because not only
was a building rood likely to be different from an acreage rood, but
it may also have been different from the building rood used in the
next parish. The first tentative steps toward standardising
measurements did not begin until about 1820.
The 1944 Shorter OED gives several meanings of rood: "As a linear
measure ... now only local, and varying from 6 to 8 yards." "A
measure (of land, paving, building, etc) corresponding to a square
pole or perch, but with local and other variations".
Paul Thrush's Dictionary of Mining, Mineral and Related Terms 1968
gives several meanings for rod (the two words were sometimes used
interchangeably), including: "A unit of brickwork, 306 cubic feet (11
1/2 cubic yards) containing about 4,500 bricks"
Peter Bell
On 20/04/2010, at 4:19 AM, David Williams wrote:
> The PDMHS Conservation Team will shortly commence an archaeological
> dig on a
> 1790's Newcomen Engine House at Watergrove Mine. Jim Rieuwerts has
> been
> looking at the accounts and has found details of the building
> foundation
> size - unfortunately this is given in roods. Apparently a building
> rood is
> different from a acreage rood, and we are scratching our heads to
> discover
> how big a building rood was. It apparently also varied over time.
>
> Can anyone give us a clue as to how long (or big) a building rood
> was in the
> late eighteenth century?
>
> Cheers, Dave Williams
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