My understanding is that it was the standardisation of the 'double body
yard', the fingertip-fingertip measurement of a man standing with both
arms outstretched.
Maybe that as ropes, chains and other mining essentials for hoisting
were supplied by the same people as supplied shipping that measurements
naturally spilled over from one to t'other.
In our mining fieldwork we carry around a fathom pole - a bit of square
section six feet long, and mark off on its faces feet, inches and
fathoms; metres; and the alleged megalithic yard. This is just to
illustrate to those brought up in the metric system the differences.
(and we've put a load of difference tables on our website)
What puzzles us is why horizontal distances in the navy are measured in
chains (11 fathoms), other than this being four rods, poles, perches or
virgates. Why such an odd multipler? If indeed there is any connection.
Regards
John & Sandy
In message <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask] writes
>How is it the most simple questions can catch us out? Last week sitting in
>Copper Mines Valley at Coniston I was caught out by my wife (nothing unusual
>in that!) "Why are the dimensions given in fathoms? " Can anybody restore
>my credibility!!!
--
John Colby
Website at http://www.colbybos.demon.co.uk
Kite Aerial Photography: http://www.colbybos.demon.co.uk/edhenvean
Last Updated Sunday 6th June 1999
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