Coomb (volume)
Encyclopedia
A coomb is a measure
of volume
. Its exact original details are not known. In 13th century England
it was defined as 4 bushel
s (~140 L). It was in use in Norfolk
until the 1790s or later, as a dry measure: "Ben sold my Wheat to the Marlingford Miller this Morning for 19 shillings per Coomb" - Parson Woodforde's Diary, May 20, 1786.
The coomb was in common use in farming in Suffolk
until well after the end of World War II
, in fact for as long as grain
was handled in sacks, a practice which ended with the introduction of combine harvesters which had bulk grain tanks.
Yields were referred to in coombs per acre. A coomb was 16 stones, or 2 hundredweights.
The U.S grain markets quote prices as cents
per bushel, and a US bushel of grain is about 61lbs, which would approximately correspond to the 4 bushel coomb, 4 x 61 = 244lbs. Converting from volume (bushels) to weights will give different results for barley and wheat.
Although seldom referred to in Suffolk today except in conversation, older farmers in North Germany
will frequently refer to crop yields in Doppelzentner pro Morgan. The area of a Morgan varies a bit in different regions, but is believed to be derived from the area a man would plough in a morning (Morgen), and is about one third of a hectare, which is similar to an acre. A doppel Zentner is 100Kg, or about 220lbs, and thus similar to a coomb. Similarly, the German word for an area of arable land is an Acker. It is easy to infer that the UK acre is derived from the same Germanic
word base. It is interesting that the English and the German yield units are thus closely related, coombs per acre being similar to Doppelzentner pro Morgan.
Measure
- Legal :* Measure of the Church of England is a law passed by the General Synod and the UK Parliament equivalent of an Act* Measure of the National Assembly for Wales, a law specific to Wales passed by the Welsh Assembly between 2007 and 2011...
of volume
Volume
Volume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by some closed boundary, for example, the space that a substance or shape occupies or contains....
. Its exact original details are not known. In 13th century England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
it was defined as 4 bushel
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
s (~140 L). It was in use in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
until the 1790s or later, as a dry measure: "Ben sold my Wheat to the Marlingford Miller this Morning for 19 shillings per Coomb" - Parson Woodforde's Diary, May 20, 1786.
The coomb was in common use in farming in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
until well after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in fact for as long as grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
was handled in sacks, a practice which ended with the introduction of combine harvesters which had bulk grain tanks.
Yields were referred to in coombs per acre. A coomb was 16 stones, or 2 hundredweights.
The U.S grain markets quote prices as cents
Cent
Cent may refer to:In currency:*Cent , a one-hundredth subdivision of several units of currency*Cent , a Canadian coin*Cent , the Dutch coin minted between 1941 and 1944*Cent , a European coin...
per bushel, and a US bushel of grain is about 61lbs, which would approximately correspond to the 4 bushel coomb, 4 x 61 = 244lbs. Converting from volume (bushels) to weights will give different results for barley and wheat.
Although seldom referred to in Suffolk today except in conversation, older farmers in North Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
will frequently refer to crop yields in Doppelzentner pro Morgan. The area of a Morgan varies a bit in different regions, but is believed to be derived from the area a man would plough in a morning (Morgen), and is about one third of a hectare, which is similar to an acre. A doppel Zentner is 100Kg, or about 220lbs, and thus similar to a coomb. Similarly, the German word for an area of arable land is an Acker. It is easy to infer that the UK acre is derived from the same Germanic
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
word base. It is interesting that the English and the German yield units are thus closely related, coombs per acre being similar to Doppelzentner pro Morgan.