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Your comments surprise me. I have never gathered what a ton on timber consisted of, but I have only seen cord wood measured in cords (128 ft3, with regional variants). A standard cord was 4 foot sticks in a pile 4 foot high and 8 foot long. Its subdivisions were feet, probably 8 feet to the cord (but I am not sure). The Welsh cord was piled a different way, the pile being 14 foot long and other dimensions smaller. Peter King 49, Stourbridge Road, Hagley, Stourbridge West Midlands DY9 0QS 01562-720368 [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of JJ GREENWOOD Sent: 21 August 2008 11:02 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: mining-nautical terminology the same unit was used for timber with 10 fathoms to the ton; it was only used for cord wood Trevor Dunkerley <[log in to unmask]> wrote: In mining terms a fathom is a unit of volume equal to 6 cubic feet used in measuring bodies of ore. The German for fathom is 'faden' - a linear measurement which can now also mean rope, twine, string. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Shoebridge" To: Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:14 AM Subject: Re: mining-nautical terminology > Might not the usage of fathoms for measuring shaft depths come initially > from the rope manufacturers who normally supplied rope for maritime > purposes.?? > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "sougher" > To: > Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 5:51 AM > Subject: mining-nautical terminology > > > Hi List, > > Coming from one of the country's most land locked counties i.e. > Derbyshire, it's interesting to note that lead miners there also measured > the depths of their mines and shafts in fathoms. I know that it must have > come about because of the constant migration of miners between Derbyshire > and Cornwall, and visa versa (also other mining areas of the UK as many > mining words are common throughout), but I've often wondered when this > measurement was first used in Derbyshire. Jim Rieuwerts in his "Glossary > of Derbyshire Lead Mining Terms" says that "shaft depths were usually > quoted in fathoms from the surface, not as in Cornwall, from the horizon > of the adit". Nellie Kirkham in her "Derbyshire Lead Mining Glossary" > CRG 1949, gives an alterative word of Faddom for a Fathom. Has anyone > the answer? > > Margaret Howard > >