hogshead

1

An English and later British unit of capacity, a quarter of a tun, = 63 wine gallons. After conversion to imperial measure in 1824, the hogshead became 52.5 imperial gallons, about 238.7 liters. See beer and ale for a chart showing its changes over time for those commodities. See wine barrel for a chart showing its changes in value and its relation to other wine measures. Abbr., hhd.

In addition to the legal value, the hogshead had various conventional commercial values, depending on the commodity.

	Mid 19th century, according to Waterston	20th century
beer	54 imperial gallons
brandy	45–60 imp. gal.; some say 57	60 imp. gal.; 273 liters
claret	46 imp. gallons	46-49 imp. gal.; 209-225 liters
madeira, marsala		46 imp. gal.; 209 liters
port		58 imp. gal.; 264 liters
Scotch whisky	55–60 imp. gallons	56 imp. gal.; 255 liters
sherry		55 imp. gal.; 250 liters
sugar (West Indies)	1,456–1,792 pounds avoirdupois.
tobacco	1,344–2,016 pounds avoirdupois.
Hock, Rhine and Moselle wine	30 gallons

sources

See these statutes: 1 Richard III, chapter 13, 2 Henry VI chapter 14

15228 Cubic inches, or 8 4/5 cube feet, in one hogshead of beer measure in London, containing 54 gallons.
13536 Cube inches, or 7 5/6 cube feet, in one hogshead of ale measure in London, containing 48 gals.
14382 Cube inches, or 8 2/6 cube feet, in one hogshead of beer and ale measure in the country, containing 51 gallons.
14553 Cube inches, or 8 2/5 cube feet, in one hogshead of wine measure, containing 63 gallons.

E[dward] Hoppus.
Hoppus's Tables for Measuring, or Practical Measuring Made Easy, by a New Set of Tables... A New Edition.
London: Printed for Longman and Co., etc., 1837.

2

In Australia and South Africa, a unit of liquid capacity for wine, about 65 imperial gallons, about 295 liters.