Antique treen measurers - more than meets the eye
- Mar 13, 2015
- 1 min read
I have always liked these treen measurers they look like wooden mugs but look a little closer. These measurers were made from one piece of beechwood and all made from one piece including the handle and so must have been turned on a pole lathe as the recprocal movement was necessary to leave the handle projection to one side. They were used by customs and excise and/or chandlers for measuring corn
These antique treen measurers were made in various sizes gill, quart, half pint, pint and were stamped on the inside or the outside of the antique measurer with the reigning king or queen of the period to verify the measure- this gives us an approximate date for the treen measurer, as the design did not appear to alter upto the 20th century, so very useful from my point of view for dating. If the stamp is missing it was either never verified or perhaps the measurer has been cut down- a short measure!!! Interestingly sometimes you may see more than one stamp as the measurer has been verified whilst two or even three different monarchs were on the throne. Most date from the Victorian reign but on rare ocassions you can find some William IV or even George IV.
There are other stamps which may appear on these antique treen measurers which tell us where they came from, have a look at the following images:
These antique measurers are so much more than simple tools; they represent the precision and honesty of early trade. Whether used for grain or liquids, the carved markings and reinforced edges showcase incredible durability and craftsmanship. It’s fascinating to see how such humble wooden objects held so much importance in daily commerce!
And when I take a quick break, I usually just check out inattv since it’s simple and quick to use.