In answer to John Symons plea for help and further to Peter Claughton's
reply . . . .
From the Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary:
wey: a measure or weight of dry-goods differing with different articles as
40 bushels of corn &c
So it seems a wey could be equal to 40 bushels if you want it to! And from
this definition it can be regarded as a weight as well as a volume!
One of Peter's references says '4 weys to a last'. Chambers says a last is
'a varying weight, generally about 4000 lb'. So again an inexact definition!
Conversation on Mines by W Hopton (9th edn 1891) page 293 states that a
chaldron is 25.5 cwt; this agrees with Chambers (above version) which also
says that a chaldron is an old coal measure holding 36 heaped bushels.
This would make a wey about (25.5 / 36) * 40 cwt = 28 cwt approx. Or 28 / 20
tons = 1.4 tons, which is a bit different to John's 1.125 tons, but not a
hug amount different!
Beware of the quarter as this can have so many meanings - at least six I can
think of!
Roger
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Symons" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 22 August 2001 14:49
Subject: wey
> Hi,
>
> A plea for help.
>
> I am having difficulty in determining the relationship between the wey
> and the ton, always assuming there is one, as I assume the former is a
> volume measure, whereas the latter, is of course, weight.
>
> So far I understand that 1 wey is equivalent to 5 quarters, and 1
> quarter to 8 bushels. A bushel appears to be equal to 63lbs, although I
> believe this to be variable. Thus 1 quarter is equal to 504lbs, making 1
> wey equal to 2,520lbs or 1.125tons.
>
> My original source for the wey came from a footnote (23) on page 37 of
> Haydn Jones' Accounting, Costing and Cost Estimating, (1985), in which
> he states that 1 wey or weye at Neath in 1713, as it related to coal
> measure, was equivalent to 5.5tons. I feel this should read 5.5
> quarters.
>
> Can anyone clarify this for me, please.
>
> John
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