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Six days math??

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  • Six days math??

    Any experts in old measurements around?

    I've found a document on A2A which may be interesting, and it refers to the following land:

    Messuage, appurts., and lands.
    SHENSTONE, Two Upper Wattages and six days math in Small Meadow.


    Googling was no help, because I just found electrical stuff and American students' sites.

    Anyone know what wattages and maths are?

  • #2
    I wonder if it has been correctly transcribed? I would want Wattages to be Cottages, myself, lol!

    I can't find either of these measurements in my old book, so I suspect they were local units of measurement at the time. Perhaps the County Archivist could help.

    OC

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    • #3
      I did wonder about cottages, but Nat. Archives documents are usually very well transcribed.

      I know that in Yorkshire, fields were measured in units of "days' work", so I imagine a Staffordshire "math" is something similar.

      Comment


      • #4
        Wattage....something to do with wattle, perhaps? Clutching at straws here.(Oh, pun!)

        I too have seen land measured in ploughshares, which is one man one day with one plough (reminding me of all those awful maths questions, lol)

        OC

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        • #5
          Any idea what use this land was put to? Just to take an example, if there was a mill there might be specific terminology.
          Uncle John - Passed away March 2020

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          • #6
            No, no idea - I only have the précis from TNA.

            Comment


            • #7
              Have you looked at the transcription in context? Sometimes the same piece of land is referred to several times. Land often has very strange names and I wonder whether there was also a Lower Wattage? The fact that that is in capitals suggests it was a name.
              Phoenix - with charred feathers
              Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

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              • #8
                Genuki doesn't shed any light, though it bandies a lot of names around.

                GENUKI: Shenstone
                Uncle John - Passed away March 2020

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                • #9
                  1896 dictionary: "Math...A mowing, or what is gathered from a mowing: used chiefly in composition: as, aftermath ".

                  Might it refer to service required as part of a rent, i.e. 6 days mowing?

                  Same source gives Wat as a term for a hare. So Wattage might be a field where hares used to do their boxing?:D

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                  • #10
                    I have found some more references to maths on A2.Still none the wiser as to what it means
                    Moggie


                    [from Scope and Content] Release of interest in buttery, staircase and great bay of boarded barn, close of land called Sandy Butts, divided into two, two lowest day maths in Milton and lordship of Abbey Hulton and probate of will of Richard Adams, (1724).

                    [from Scope and Content] 2½ days maths of 2r 34p in common meadow called Ashley Meadow in Rugeley; 2 closes called Lower Nailors Meadow and Upper Nailors Meadow of 1a 3r 28p in Armitage

                    from Scope and Content] Upper Wood, Upper End of the Wood Meadow, the Patch, butts in Smeeth Down Wood, day maths in Horse Moore (Devisees of Keen/Robinson, Hales, the latter of Sparrow and Hales).

                    FILE [no title] - ref. D1798/198 - date: 1709/10-1713
                    [from Scope and Content] 2 Paddocks, Cross Croft, 3 days maths of meadow, (Coyney/Richards).

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                    • #11
                      Found this definition:
                      aftermath 1523, originally a second crop of grass grown after the first had been harvested. The -math is dialectal, from O.E. mæð "mowing," from P.Gmc. *mæthan. Figurative sense is from mid-17c.
                      Let's re-arrange the deck-chairs

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                      • #12
                        My book says under the heading -

                        Land Productivity Areas

                        1 math = the area that a man can mow in one day (Hereford).

                        Under Related Land Areas

                        1 math is approx. equal to 1 acre.

                        Mary.

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                        • #13
                          Wow - I'm impressed with what we've learned from this. It all makes sense when you know what a math is.

                          Even OC didn't know the answer :p

                          Anne

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                          • #14
                            I reckon that those a / r / p measures will be acres, roods and (sq) poles?

                            Christine

                            found a site by googling:
                            Last edited by Christine in Herts; 02-09-08, 17:50.
                            Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

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                            • #15
                              Fascinating, and the context of the other extracts helps to make sense of the language. It's odd how some words only survive as derivatives and the original falls into disuse.
                              Uncle John - Passed away March 2020

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                              • #16
                                Well, we seem to have sorted out math between us.
                                On a more general note, you might find this of interest - you'll need Adobe Reader to view it.

                                English computation.pdf

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                                • #17
                                  A day's

                                  Mowing
                                  At
                                  The
                                  Hoe

                                  Except you don't mow with a hoe, do you.

                                  OC

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                                  • #18
                                    Thanks all, and especially MaryAnn for the useful definition.

                                    No more suggestions for wattages? If not, I'll ask the Records Office.

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                                    • #19
                                      Has anyone put this is the wiki ready for next time?
                                      Click here to order your BMD certificates for England and Wales for only £9.25 General Register Office

                                      Do you have camera? Click here to see if you can help Places of Worship

                                      Jacob Sudders born in Prussia c.1775 married Alice Pidgeon in 1800 in Gorelston. Do you know where Jacob was born?

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                                      • #20
                                        I will, Pippa, if it's not already done.

                                        I have put it in the "Big Book"
                                        Last edited by Roger in Sussex; 03-09-08, 08:30.

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