LL-L "History" 2009.06.27 (06) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 27 June 2009 - Volume 06
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From: Tom Mc Rae <thomas.mcrae at bigpond.com>
Subject: LL-L "History" 2009.06.27 (04) [EN]

R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com> wrote
Subject: History

One was set up outside a church in Edinburgh's High Street, probably after
1603 for market prodice to be weighed prior to selling at the market
adjacent to St Giles High Church.Scots referred to the device as a "TRON"
and the church where it was situated is still called The Tron Church. Long
abandoned an enterprising local gained access in Vistorin Times
and established an illicit whisky still. He ran the vent up into the steeple
so the smells op distilling wafted well above the city.
I recall steelyards being used in Edinburgh butchers' shops in the 1940's.

On 28/06/2009, at 8:04 AM, Lowlands-L List wrote:

The Steelyard gave its name to a type of portable balance, consisting of a
graduated horizontal metal beam suspended on a chain. The whole balance
would be hung from a roof beam. A heavy object to be weighed, for instance a
sack of flour, would be hung on the shorter end of the beam, while lesser
but known weights would be slid along the other, longer end, till the beam
balanced. The weight of the sack could then be calculated by multiplying the
sum of the known weights by the ratio of the distances from the beam's
fulcrum.


  Regards
Tom Mc Rae
Brisbane
AUSTRALIA
"Oh wad some power the Giftie gie us,
Tae see oorsels as ithers see us
Robert Burn

•

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