In England, 15ᵗʰ – 19ᵗʰ centuries, a unit of count = 60, used for ropes, boxes, lutes, mirrors, wooden canes and trays, iron plates, anchors, locks, shovels, boards and other items. A common unit in northern Europe, under various names, for which see this chart:
H. S. Cobb, editor.
The Overseas Trade of London. Exchequer Customs Accounts 1480-1.
London Record Society, 1990.
Customs records, containing numerous examples of the use of the shock.
Canes of Wood, the shocke cont. sixty canes…Trayes of wood the shocke cont. 60 Trayes
“A Subsidy granted to the King of Tonnage and Poundage and other summes of Money payable upon Merchandize Exported and Imported.”
A statute from the 12th year of Charles II, 1660. The selection is from the
Rates of Merchandizes,
which is not part of the statute proper but developed from it. Both are printed in:
Statutes of the Realm, Volume 5: 1628-80, John Raithby, editor.
London: 1819. Page 186.
In Derbyshire, England, “seems to mean 12 sheaves of corn”¹.
1. Second Report of the Commissioners Appointed by His Majesty
to Consider the Subject of Weights and Measures. 13 July 1820.
Reports from Commissioners, 7.
HC314, Reports from Committees of the House of Commons.
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Last revised: 11 May 2009.