In England before1824, a unit of liquid capacity, about 119.24 liters.
From at least the14ᵗʰ century the barrel of wine has contained 31.5 gallons, one-eighth of the tun of 252 gallons. The gallons are wine gallons of 231 cubic inches, used by the Excise for centuries before being legalized by an act of1707 (Anne chap. 27 s 17.). Honey and cooking oil are also said to have been sold by these measures.
The tun, pipe,firkin and hogshead were in use by1439, the barrel and rundlet by1483, and the tierce by1536. Thereafter the system remained remarkably stable until the introduction of imperial measure in1824. In that reform the capacities of the various wine casks were changed very little (slightly adjusted to round numbers), but their capacities were thereafter stated in imperial gallons. See the table below.
pipeor butt | 2 | ||||||
1½ | 3 | ||||||
1 ¹/3 | 2 | 4 | |||||
1½ | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||||
wine barrel | 1 ¹⁄3 | 2 | 2 ²⁄3 | 4 | 8 | ||
1¾ | 2 ¹⁄3 | 3½ | 4 ²/3 | 7 | 14 | ||
wine gallon | 18 | 31.5 | 42 | 63 | 84 | 126 | 252 |
liters (before1824) | 68.14 | 119.24 | 158.99 | 238.48 | 317.97 | 476.96 | 953.92 |
pre-1824, in imperial gallons | 14.99 | 26.23 | 34.97 | 52.46 | 69.94 | 104.92 | 209.83 |
imperial gallons 1824 - about 2000 | 15 | 26¼ | 35 | 52.5 | 70 | 105 | 210 |
liters (after1824) | 68.19 | 119.3 | 159.1 | 238.7 | 318.2 | 477.3 | 954.7 |
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Last revised: 2 February 2009.