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truss

In England, units of mass used in measuring hay and straw. By 36 George III, c. 88 (1796) sec. 2, 3 and 6, in London and within 30 miles of London

one truss of straw = at least 36 pounds.
one truss of old hay (Sept. 1 through May 31) = at least 56 pounds.
one truss of new hay (June 1 through Aug. 31, “if of the summer’s growth of that year”) = at least 60 pounds.

36 trusses = 1 London load.

These sizes existed before the Act, and they are found in areas other than the vicinity of London, ? – 19ᵗʰ centuries. But in Bristol, a truss was 7 pounds.¹

1. James Britten.
Old Country and Farming Words.
English Dialect Society, number 30.
London: Trübner and Co., 1880.

Page 177.

Worlidge, 1704.

Report of the Commissioners, etc. 1820.

Alfred J. Martin.
Up-to-date Tables of Imperial, Metric, Indian and Colonial Weights and Measures…
London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1904.
Page 72.

sources

2 William and Mary Cap 8. (1690)

XVI. And whereas great abuses and deceits are committed by carters and others, who bring and set hay within the cities of London and Westminster, and the hay markets and places comprised within the weekly bills of mortality, the loads and trusses of such hay being of less weight than they ought, and are pretended and declared to be between the buyer and seller thereof: For remedy herein be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every truss of old hay brought or offered to be sold hereafter in any place within the cities of London and Westminster, and all other places comprised within the weekly bills of mortality, between the last day of August and first day of June, shall contain and be the full weight of six and fifty pounds at least; and that every truss of hay brought or offered to be sold within the cities or places aforesaid, between the first day of June and the last day of August in any year, being new hay of that summer's growth, shall be and contain the full weight of sixty pounds, and old hay of any former year's growth, the weight of six and fifty pounds as aforesaid; and if any hay after the said fifteenth day of December, shall be brought or offered to be sold within the cities or places aforesaid, whereof any truss shall be of less weight than aforesaid, the person or persons aforesaid, so bringing or offering such hay to be sold, shall forfeit for every such truss of hay, not being the full weight aforesaid, the sum of eighteen pence.

Danby Pickering, ed.
The Statutes at Large from the First Year of K. William and Q. Mary, to the Eighth Year of K. William III.
Volume 9 of this Statutes of the Realm series.
Cambridge: Printed by Joseph Bentham for Charles Bathurst, 1764.
Page 107.