63/48/1

This is a one bushel measure for measuring grain. It is made of oak, and stamped ‘Bushel 1886’ and ‘VR’. It was used first at the donor’s father’s farm in Duddo, Northumberland, 1886–1903, and then at the donor’s farm in Castle Heaton, Northumberland, from 1903 until his retirement in 1962. However, during the twentieth century it became illegal to measure grain by quantity and the measure fell out of use.

1 grain measure: oak

Letter, John R. Wood to Andrew Jewell, MERL, 4 July 1963 – ‘I am very much pleased to find on examination that the measures is stamped Bushel 1886, and officially stamped VR by Inland Revenue. That confirms to me that my father had it at Duddo Farm in 1886, and that it was in use when I was at school. It would go to Castle Heaton Farm in 1903 when Duddo Farm stock was displenished. I prevented it from being sold when my stock at Castle Heaton was displenished in May 1962. // During all those years it was used almost continuously by women workers. There was a great point in pouring the grain in very gently. If thrown in it packed tight and naturally held more, and consequently the weight was greater. That of course is the essence of why measuring of grain was made illegal, and selling by weight became compulsory. When filled the grain was levelled off (or stricken off) by the strike, which filled all crevices at the top & cleared away all grain surplus to the correct amount. A woman being usually gentler than a man, or at least more careful, women were almost invariably put on top measure grain. Often too one individual could put the grain in so uniformly lightly that quite frequently the sae woman was selected to fill the measure. It was all worth while if it was found by a little care that perhaps 1/2lb per bushel could be saved. // Time was not of so much value then when women were plentiful and wages were for women about 1/4 per day and 10 hours per day. In 1882 my father had 16 women working regularly on the farm. In harvest the women were paid 3/– per day for 20 days but nothing extra for overtime, except that when stacking was going on each got a bottle of beer daily at same time as the men.’, Letter, John R. Wood to MERL, 27 June 1963 – ‘I have a “bushel measure” which I should like to give to the Museum unless now superfluous. There is also a “strike” to brush off the surplus grain from top of the measure. The bushel measure is made of oak & is in excellent condition. I believe it came into my Father’s possession in May 1889. // It came into my ownership along with other farm equipment when I took over my Father’s Trustees in 1904. Since then it has been used to measure seed grain until I retired in May 1962. For many years past now it has not been legal to sell grain by measure. It is therefore probable that today such an article as a bushel measure is very rare.’

1886 - 1886

Measure, grain, Measure, bushel