Thanks Irene Interesting and, as you say, very confusing regards Brian Benningfield Phones: 27(0)832759857 or 27(0)219758695    Fax: 27(0)866848582 Skype: brianben44   E-Mail: brian.ben44@gmail.com Researching: The BEN(N)INGFIELD; EYBERS; van TUBBERGH; DANIEL; VAN ASWEGEN; LATSKY and related families. -----Original Message----- From: south-africa-eastern-cape-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:south-africa-eastern-cape-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Irene de Villiers via Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 9:36 AM To: The Revd Fr Brian Tee; south-africa-eastern-cape@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ZA-EC] Measuring a morgen On Jan 20, 2015, at 2:02 AM, The Revd Fr Brian Tee via wrote: > > "Originally an acre represented roughly the extent of land that could be > ploughed by a span of oxen in a day, and a morgen, as the name implies, that > which could be ploughed in a morning. . it is difficult to explain why the > Rhynland morgen is more than twice the area of a English acre." A morgen was formerly used by many countries to measure land, and it has varied from half an acre to about 2.5 acres. eg. in Prussia and Scandinavia, equal to about two thirds of an acre. It is supposed to be the amount plowed by one man in a morning - not necessariy using oxen. Rijnland morgen was based on Rijnland roede (based on the length of a "rod" used for measuring length) so if you changed the formal length of a rod, (which happened several times in Dutch history and wich originated as five foot British) then it automatically changed the area of a morgen. The Dutch had multiple rod lengths: The most common roede used in the Netherlands was the Rijnland rod. • one Rijnland rod (Rijnlandse roede) was 14.19 m² • one Amsterdam rod (Amsterdamse roede) was 13.52 m² • one 's-Hertogenbosch rod (Bossche roede) was 33.1 m² • one Breda rod (Bredase roede) was 32.26 m² • one Groningen rod (Groningse roede) was 16.72 m² • one Hondsbos rod (Hondsbosse roede) was 11.71 m² In 1816, the Dutch had to conform to French rules for metric measures, and so they merely allocated their familiar names (morgen, rood etc) to metric quantities, including for example: 1 vierkante roede (square rod) = 1 acre or 100 square meters (British has 4 roods equal to one acre) The measurement systems were an inconsistent mess for a long time :-) Namaste, Irene -- Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom. P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220. www.Furryboots.info (Info on Feline health, genetics, nutrition & homeopathy) "Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it." ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SOUTH-AFRICA-EASTERN-CAPE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.2249 / Virus Database: 4257/8469 - Release Date: 01/21/15