Jump to content

Ready Reckoner


vox

Recommended Posts

I dug this out from a pile of long forgotten books that I've got.

Just thought it was interesting.

I suppose there are a lot of younger people who will not know they existed.

No date on it but farthings went out of circulation in 1960

I suspect it's considerably older than that though because of it's style and the language used.

A few scans

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dug this out from a pile of long forgotten books that I've got.

Just thought it was interesting.

I suppose there are a lot of younger people who will not know they existed.

No date on it but farthings went out of circulation in 1960

I suspect it's considerably older than that though because of it's style and the language used.

A few scans

How many Dumplings per Hectare; how many farthings in a plate of tripe; quantity of maggots required to lure an elephant per square yard - wonderful stuff !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest binsted71

In a similar vein, I found this, "The Tutor's Assistant". This edition printed in 1854, long before the advent of electronic calculators. Joseph Dargue, who wrote his name on the inside cover, was in Cleveland Ohio according to the 1880 U.S. census.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In a similar vein, I found this, "The Tutor's Assistant". This edition printed in 1854, long before the advent of electronic calculators. Joseph Dargue, who wrote his name on the inside cover, was in Cleveland Ohio according to the 1880 U.S. census.

Excellent, Thank you. Now, the age old question how many UK Gallons to a UK Gallon, how many litres in each, and therefore how many litres or UK Gallons to a Ten Gallon Hat ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest binsted71

Excellent, Thank you. Now, the age old question how many UK Gallons to a UK Gallon, how many litres in each, and therefore how many litres or UK Gallons to a Ten Gallon Hat ?

Perhaps the following tables will help you with your calculations!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps the following tables will help you with your calculations!!!

On this last page it states on at least 2 occasions that there are 12 ounces to a pound, I always thought there were 16.

Am I missing something

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest binsted71

On this last page it states on at least 2 occasions that there are 12 ounces to a pound, I always thought there were 16.

Am I missing something

Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, black powder, and gemstones.

The apothecaries' system of weights is a historical system of mass units that were used by physicians and apothecaries for medical recipes

The avoirdupois system is a system of weights (or, properly, mass) based on a pound of sixteen ounces.

A fuller explanation of each of the different systems can be found on Wikipedia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent, Thank you. Now, the age old question how many UK Gallons to a UK Gallon, how many litres in each, and therefore how many litres or UK Gallons to a Ten Gallon Hat ?

Easy - Quite a few & seven sixteenths :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, black powder, and gemstones.

The apothecaries' system of weights is a historical system of mass units that were used by physicians and apothecaries for medical recipes

The avoirdupois system is a system of weights (or, properly, mass) based on a pound of sixteen ounces.

A fuller explanation of each of the different systems can be found on Wikipedia

OK

I knew there would be a good explanation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's one to sort the old fellas from the sprogs...

Who remembers school exercise books with tables on the back cover? ( Since it's (ahem) years since I saw one I'm assuming they don't any more!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent, Thank you. Now, the age old question how many UK Gallons to a UK Gallon, how many litres in each, and therefore how many litres or UK Gallons to a Ten Gallon Hat ?

I have in my possession a book entitled "Crichton's Metric System With English Equivalents" which I guess must be a reprint because it's in as-new condition although it makes no mention of this inside the covers. It contains tables of every measurement thought up by man.

One of my favourites is the table of Russian Poods, Funts and Zolots into hundredweights, quarters and pounds. The old Russian tables of lengths are quite interesting, 17.5 Liniias = 1 Verchok, 16 Vechoks = 1Archinne, 3 Archinnes = 1 Sagene, 500 Sagenes = 1 Versta. I kid you not, and I thought inches, feet and yards were complicated.

So if you can't tell your Pood from your Archinne I'm the man to put you right !

HD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On this last page it states on at least 2 occasions that there are 12 ounces to a pound, I always thought there were 16.

Am I missing something

Yes, 4 ounces to be precise.

Stuart is 4 ounces short of a pound! lol

{better than being 4 pence short of a pound} ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's one to sort the old fellas from the sprogs...

Who remembers school exercise books with tables on the back cover? ( Since it's (ahem) years since I saw one I'm assuming they don't any more!)

Yes, multiplication tables and a variety of conversion tables and a shortened form of the "ready reckoner" for money.

As I remember these tables were not there to be used but to be learnt by heart so that you could instantly quote any figure you may need.

We had to learn stuff like this for homework and get tested on it, then we got thrashed with a slipper or a stick if we got it wrong.

As it was pointed out to me recently, these days kids think a "memory stick" is something you shove into a USB port on a computer.

When we were kids a "memory stick" was about 2 foot long and made of cane.

If you got your times tables wrong a few good thrashes with it soon helped you remember them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent, Thank you. Now, the age old question how many UK Gallons to a UK Gallon, how many litres in each, and therefore how many litres or UK Gallons to a Ten Gallon Hat ?

Recently at work I was told that I would be getting a pole to open some otherwise inaccessible Velox windows in my laboratory roof.

They were a bit taken aback with my reply "Is it 5 yards long?"

Obviously they were too young to know that, -

One rod, pole or perch = 5 yards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, black powder, and gemstones.

The apothecaries' system of weights is a historical system of mass units that were used by physicians and apothecaries for medical recipes

The avoirdupois system is a system of weights (or, properly, mass) based on a pound of sixteen ounces.

A fuller explanation of each of the different systems can be found on Wikipedia

Wow Binstead, you suprise me, you didn't learn that at Philly. lol ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very popular the morning of 15th February 1971 as I remember ...

No it wasn't Richard

All of us could already handle the intricasies of the Imperial system with ease due to the educational system I have just described in a previous post.

Decimalisation meant having to readjust to all the new stuff. :(

And in any case 15 February 1971 only refers to the date of the official changeover to full use of decimal currency.

This decimalisation ONLY applied to money and not any other units.

The decimalisation of money actually started in 1968 with the introduction of 5p and 10p coins which had exact Imperial equivalents (1/- and 2/-)

In 1969 the oddly shaped equal arc heptagonal coin the 50p was introduced, this had an exact Imperial equivalent (10/-) but replaced a note with a coin. :o

It wasd only in February 1971 that the half pence, 1p and 2p coins (the low value copper coins) were introduced which had no direct Imperial equivalent.

Yes, there was a half pence decimal coin, but the 20p the £1 coin and the £2 coin all came later, initially our base unit the pound sterling remained a note.

The only pre decimal coins to be used after 15 February 1971 were the 6d (two and a half pence) and the 2/6 "half crown" whivh was 12 and a half pence.

The point is, that although "D-Day" (15 February 1971) is remembered as the day our money went decimal, it was in fact phased in over a period of time, which allowed the old money to be taken out of circulation over a longer period of time.

In fact, there were a few years in the 1970's when all items in shops were "double priced" eg 20p (4/-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have in my possession a book entitled "Crichton's Metric System With English Equivalents" which I guess must be a reprint because it's in as-new condition although it makes no mention of this inside the covers. It contains tables of every measurement thought up by man.

One of my favourites is the table of Russian Poods, Funts and Zolots into hundredweights, quarters and pounds. The old Russian tables of lengths are quite interesting, 17.5 Liniias = 1 Verchok, 16 Vechoks = 1Archinne, 3 Archinnes = 1 Sagene, 500 Sagenes = 1 Versta. I kid you not, and I thought inches, feet and yards were complicated.

So if you can't tell your Pood from your Archinne I'm the man to put you right !

HD

Now the Imperial system in Britain, although it looks complicated is actually very simple.

Metric is based on 10 the same as our number system, so it works well.

Unfortunately 10 only has 2 factors which go into it exactly, 2 and 5 so it is difficult to divide up

The Imperial system is actually based on using numbers which have lots of factors to make division into parts easier.

Some examples are 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32, 36 and 48 and multiples of these like 240 and 360

The rules were, -

1, NEVER use a prime number (it has no factors)

2. NEVER use fractional parts of a number

17.5 :blink: , that fails on both counts, - what an awkward number to work with :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's one to sort the old fellas from the sprogs...

Who remembers school exercise books with tables on the back cover? ( Since it's (ahem) years since I saw one I'm assuming they don't any more!)

In my day the top part of the back covers had the times tables and the bottom half the lists of imperial measures. I remember the liquid capacities one because our teachers were at pains to point out that in Sheffield we used a different size for the GILL to the one descibed on the exercise books, from memory 4 to the pint instead of 6 but it could have been the other way around. either the books were printed out of Sheffield or they had used a standard table.

Happy Days !

HD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my day the top part of the back covers had the times tables and the bottom half the lists of imperial measures. I remember the liquid capacities one because our teachers were at pains to point out that in Sheffield we used a different size for the GILL to the one descibed on the exercise books, from memory 4 to the pint instead of 6 but it could have been the other way around. either the books were printed out of Sheffield or they had used a standard table.

Happy Days !

HD

I think the standard Gill was 4 to the pint HD as the whole of the Imperial liquid measure system up to the Gallon was based on factors of 8 (2, 4, 8)

Now once we go beyond the gallon (not on the back of exercise books) suddenly barrels of beer (and perhaps even oil and other liquids sold by the barrel) suddenly go into factors of 9 :blink:

A standard barrel being 36 gallons.

From memory, a Firkin is 9 gallons, a Kilderkin is 18 gallons, a Barrel is 36 gallons and a Hogshead (or 'oggseard) is a lot more, - Stuart will know exactly how much

May be wrong on some of those, personally I have never finished one without being drunk and forgetting how much I had supped! lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest binsted71

Wow Binstead, you suprise me, you didn't learn that at Philly. lol;-)

You'd be suprised at what I learned at Philly!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No it wasn't Richard

All of us could already handle the intricasies of the Imperial system with ease due to the educational system I have just described in a previous post.

Decimalisation meant having to readjust to all the new stuff. :(

And in any case 15 February 1971 only refers to the date of the official changeover to full use of decimal currency.

This decimalisation ONLY applied to money and not any other units.

The decimalisation of money actually started in 1968 with the introduction of 5p and 10p coins which had exact Imperial equivalents (1/- and 2/-)

In 1969 the oddly shaped equal arc heptagonal coin the 50p was introduced, this had an exact Imperial equivalent (10/-) but replaced a note with a coin. :o

It wasd only in February 1971 that the half pence, 1p and 2p coins (the low value copper coins) were introduced which had no direct Imperial equivalent.

Yes, there was a half pence decimal coin, but the 20p the £1 coin and the £2 coin all came later, initially our base unit the pound sterling remained a note.

The only pre decimal coins to be used after 15 February 1971 were the 6d (two and a half pence) and the 2/6 "half crown" whivh was 12 and a half pence.

The point is, that although "D-Day" (15 February 1971) is remembered as the day our money went decimal, it was in fact phased in over a period of time, which allowed the old money to be taken out of circulation over a longer period of time.

In fact, there were a few years in the 1970's when all items in shops were "double priced" eg 20p (4/-)

My tongue was "firmly in cheek" when I posted that Dave, I remember all the bother it caused my Grandmother ...

"Goading", yes, that's what I was doing there he he

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My tongue was "firmly in cheek" when I posted that Dave, I remember all the bother it caused my Grandmother ...

Most of us "young uns" (by 1971 standards), particularly science students like myself, already fully understood the metric system and realised the built in simplicity of a decimal "powers of ten" use of units and could handle it with ease.

But like you I saw many of my older relatives struggle with it for a long time. It's not easy to change to, what for them, would have been an unusual new system after almost a lifetime of working competantly with a trusted tried and tested old Imperial system. i did have a great deal of sympathy with them.

Especially when I knew that some unscrupulous shopkeepers would try to take advantage of older people and try it on at pulling the wool over their eyes. :o

I once intervened when someone tried to charge my grandmother £3.75 for an item marked at £3.15 (overcharging by 60p) , simply because he tried to mislead her into thinking that £3.15 meant 3pound 15 shillings, which she was familiar with, rather than 3 pounds 15 pence which she was struggling to get to grips with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's one to sort the old fellas from the sprogs...

Who remembers school exercise books with tables on the back cover? ( Since it's (ahem) years since I saw one I'm assuming they don't any more!)

I can remember on the front cover It said among other rules that you must repeat before all your times tables.... Never follow a ball hoop or playmate across a road... Don't see many kids with hoops and sticks now do you.? he he

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of us "young uns" (by 1971 standards), particularly science students like myself, already fully understood the metric system and realised the built in simplicity of a decimal "powers of ten" use of units and could handle it with ease.

But like you I saw many of my older relatives struggle with it for a long time. It's not easy to change to, what for them, would have been an unusual new system after almost a lifetime of working competantly with a trusted tried and tested old Imperial system. i did have a great deal of sympathy with them.

Especially when I knew that some unscrupulous shopkeepers would try to take advantage of older people and try it on at pulling the wool over their eyes. :o

I once intervened when someone tried to charge my grandmother £3.75 for an item marked at £3.15 (overcharging by 60p) , simply because he tried to mislead her into thinking that £3.15 meant 3pound 15 shillings, which she was familiar with, rather than 3 pounds 15 pence which she was struggling to get to grips with.

Stoning is too good for such people and a waste of good stones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...