76 THE HERRING IN HISTORY 



an earlier date, bricks and wool. The last is the 

 largest unit of a peculiar system of measures, 

 which runs : — 



4 herrings equal 1 warp 

 33 warps „ 1 hundred (132 fish) 



10 hundreds „ 1 thousand (1,320 fish) 

 10 thousands „ 1 last (13,200 fish). 



The word " cran," the more usual modem 

 measure for herrings, is derived from the Gaelic 

 word " craun " = a barrel of 36 gallons, or 

 3j cwt. of herrings.^ In Scotland, and at 

 certain places in England and Wales at which 

 the Cran Measures Act of 1908 is in force, fresh 

 herrings are sold by the cran, containing 

 37| Imperial gallons. In the Isle of Man 

 and in Ireland, fish is sold by the maze, which 

 contains five long hundreds (one long hundred 

 equals 126). On the east coast of England, in 

 places where the Cran Measures Act is not in 

 force, herrings are still sold by the last. 



The following is an extract concerning the 

 Charter of Croyland, in 1305 :— 



'' In the time of Yarmouth Fair, in the 34th year 

 of the reign of King Edward, son of King Henry, 

 William de Ketene, monk of St. Faith, and Reginald 

 de Burgh of St. Peter, brought to the bailiffs of Yar- 

 mouth a writ of the lord the King in these words : — 



Edward by the grace of God, King of England, Lord 

 of Ireland, to his bailiffs of Yarmouth, greeting, etc. 



* A standard barrel contains (1917) 26§ Imperial gallons, and will 

 take l)etween 600 and 1^000 herring according to the class and size 

 of the fish. About 350 pickled herrings weigh 1 cwt. ; if the herrings 

 are fresh, about 280. 



