Steelyard is a word that does not seem to describe the object we are looking at – a kind of weighing scales. Nonetheless, it is the right word for scales such as these.
A steelyard to be found at Market Lavington Museum
This steelyard is of a heavy duty kind, capable of weighing items up to 300 pounds in weight. That’s approaching 150 kilograms in present units.
In use, this steelyard would have hung from a beam in the open – not against a wall. The item to be weighed was hung from those fearsome looking hooks and then the heavy ball was moved along the arm until the arm was horizontal. The scale was along that arm. The further you had to move that spherical weight, the heavier your item was.
In this case the item to be weighed was meat – animal carcases or parts thereof. This steelyard dates from around 1926 for it carries that date on the roundel at the left hand end.
Crown Regulation – 1926
No doubt the accuracy of these devices was deemed important. The item says ‘Crown regulation’, gives the year of manufacture and the maximum load.
Clearly this device is no longer in A1 condition but it serves as a reminder of a time when there was a slaughterhouse in the village.
Tags: butcher, Market Lavington, Museum, scales, trade, weighing
Market Lavington Museum 
April 7, 2014 at 1:53 pm |
I have a steelyard with a serial no : sy47/300/32 the round weight having the same no. A round red emblem with the words : lion . Herbert and sons ltd. Edmonton London. N.18.
Would you be able to date the steelyard?
Kind regards
June maree
April 7, 2014 at 2:42 pm |
Sorry, June, I can’t help but I might know of a web site which can. Try http://www.herberthistory.co.uk/pages/251.htm where you will get an invite to submit a photo of your steelyard and they’ll aim to tell you more.
Cheers
Rog