THE ART OF WEIGHING AND MEASURING. Gil 



The oldest standard weights now existing in the Euglisb^rcbives date 

 from the reign of (Jiioen Elizabeth, and consist of a set of bell-shaped 

 avoirdupois weights of oG, 28, and 14 pounds, made in 1582, and 7, 4, 2, 

 and 1 pounds, made in 1588; a set of flat circular avoirdupois weights 

 of 8, 4, 2, and 1 pounds, and 8, 4, 2, 1, .J, ^, ^, and -^,. ounces, made in 

 1588; and a set of cup-shaped troy weights, fitting one within the 

 other, of 256, 128, G4, 32, IG, 8, 4, 2, 1, ^, i, i (hollow), and J (solid) 

 ounces, also made in 1588.* All these standards were constructed by 

 order of Queen Elizabeth, under the direction of a jury composed of 

 eighteen merchants and eleven goldsmiths of London ; the avoirdupois 

 weights being adjusted according to an ancient standard of 56 pounds, 

 remaining in the Exchequer from the time of Edward Til; and the 

 troy weights being adjusted according to the ancient standard in Gold- 

 smiths' Hall.t 



In view of the fact that the weight mentioned in all the old acts of 

 Parliament from the time of Edward I (A. T>. 1274-1307) is universally 

 admitted to be troy weight, the Parliamentary Committee of 1758, 

 appointed to inquire into the original standards of weights and meas- 

 ures in England, recommended that the troy pound should be made the 

 unit or standard by which the avoirdupois and other weights should be 

 regulated ; and by their order three several troy pounds of soft gun metal 

 were very carefully adjusted under the direction of Mr. Joseph Harris, 

 who was then assay master of the mint. To ascertain the proper mass 

 for these pounds the committee caused Messrs. Harris and Gregory, of 

 the mint, to perform the following operations in their presence: J 



First. In the before-mentioned set of troy weights, made in 1588, 

 which were then the Exchequer standard, each weight, from that of 4 

 ounces up to that of 250 ounces, was compared successively with the 

 sum of all the smaller weights ; and by a process for which no valid 

 reason can be assigned § it was concluded from these weighings that the 

 troy pound composed of the 8 and 4 ounce weights was 1^ grains too 

 light. 



Second. The aforesaid 8 and 4 ounce weights of the Exchequer were 

 compared with five other authoritative troy pounds, four of which be- 

 longed to the mint and one to Mr. li'reeman, who, like his father before 

 him, was scale-maker to the mint, and from the mean of these weigh- 

 ings it aj)i)eared that the sum of the Exchequer 8 and 4 ounce weights 

 was one grain too light. 



The committee adopted the mean between the latter result and that 

 which they had deduced from the Exchequer weights alone, § and ac- 

 cordingly Mr. Harris made each of his three troy pounds 3 ^ grains 

 heavier than the sum of the Exchequer 8 and 4 ounce weights; but 

 sixty-six years were destined to elapse before Parliament took action 

 respecting them. 



' 13, p. 430. i 13, p. 437. 



t 13, pp. 435 and 443-448. $ See Note B, at the end of the Address. 



