[Sca-cooks] Measurement Questions

[Daniel Phelps]

Was written:

>
>Can anyone on this list recommend a source that explains Medieval systems
of
>measurement {and hopefully equates them to modern measurements}?  I'm way
>behind on reading the digests, so if this has already been discussed
>recently I apologize.
>
>Specifically, I'm looking at Chiquart's shopping list in "Du Fait de
>Cuisine."  Scully gives modern equivalents for most of the measurements,
>like aunes and quintals, but not everything.  There are a few I'd like to
>find out more about:
>
>1)  Charge -  "2 charges white ginger, 2 charges Mecca ginger ..."
>
> 2)  Cabas - "12 cabas of candied raisins ..."
>
>3)  Boce - I assume this is some sort of large container of variable size.
>A "somme" is approximately 120 lbs as a dry measurement.  Chiquart refers
to
>a 20-somme boce of verjuice, a 10-somme boce of oil, and an 8-somme boce of
>vinegar, so obviously these are fairly large measurements.
>
>Any help you can provide would be appreciated.  For those of you heading to
>Pennsic, have fun!  Some of us have inconsiderate School Boards who've
moved
>the start of school to the middle of War week {no sense of priorities!}


You might try TheCompleat Anachronist Vols. 81 aand 82.  "Period Metrology,
a Study of Measurement" and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)"

Regarding charge CA 81/82 is no help the OED does provide an obscure and
possibly poorly translated/muddled Scottish 14th references to a lead
measure related to pigs of lead, which would seem not to apply.  Further OED
references suggest that it may relate not to volume per se but to
proportions based on equal volume measures thus x charges of this and y
charges of that.  To use a firearm example; a double charge of powder or
shot.

Regarding Cabas CA 81/82 is not much help except for a cabot which is
Jersey/Cannel Isles measurement which equals 10 pots.  Pots apparently
equals a fraction of a standard  bushel  1/8, 1/10, 1/12, or 1/16.  Pots
orginate per-Norman French apparently.  Note the channel Isles are now
English but formerly apparenly much tied to France.  OED says nothing on
cabas but agrees on cabot.  Cabot appears to be a dry measure but there is a
confusing reference to it as a wet measure as well.  OED says a cabot is a
half bushel but does not define the bushel it is in reference to.  Doesn't
say anything about pots under cabot.  Under pot(s) it suggests a pot or
potte is indeed a measure related to the gallon.  CA 81/82 suggest 2 pottles
to the gallon of wine, ale or beer further confusing as to it being a dry or
wet.

Regarding Boce CA 81/82 suggests it might be a boisseau except that if so it
appears to be dry measure.  The OED is no help.   It defines boce as a type
of fish or a by-word for bush.

Daniel Raoul