For those that are interested..... After doing some more research, I have found out some more information on the size of the casks or barrels that were used to transport goods on ships. In the “Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1699 – 1815” by Brian Lavery there is a mention of the following: Methods of Stowage – Most provisions, with the notable exception of bread, were kept in casks of various sizes. The biggest, known as leaguers, were 4ft 6in long, and had a maximum diameter of 3ft. Their capacity was 150 gallons each and they were used exclusively to hold water, in the lowest tier of the larger ships. Butts, containing 108 gallons, also seem to have common on large ships, at all levels of the hold. I have searched the web and found the following: Tun = 208 to 256 gallons Pipe or Butt = 105 to 126 gallons Puncheon or Tertian = 70 to 85 gallons Hogshead = 52.5 to 63 gallons Tierce = 35 to 42 gallons Barrel = 26.25 to 31.25 gallons Rundlet = 15 to 18 gallons There was no mention of the Leaguer which = 150 gallons. I see it as somewhere in the range between a Tun and a Pipe or Butt. There is a mention in the book by Robert White Stevens - Section Edition 1859 “On the Stowage of ships and their cargoes, freights, charter – parties &c” of which is a free download from Google E-books. In it mentions under Average Capacity in gallons & lbs. The following: Tight Water Casks Leager 164 Gallons Butt 110 Gallons Puncheon 72 Gallons Hogshead 54 Gallons Barrel 36 Gallons ½ Hogshead 25 Gallons Kilderkin 18 Gallons Small Cask 12 Gallons Ditto 8 Gallons Barricoe 10 Gallons So, with all of this new information, this is what I’m thinking. The Tun was too large to have on board, so they used Leaguers. The Leaguers were the first to be loaded and then anything that was smaller was loaded on top of the Leaguers. Interesting fact: Lord Nelson’s body was shipped home in a Leaguer. The same would be the case with any other high ranking officer of the Navy at that time. See pictures below. Well I think I have solved my first question on what the size of the barrels were at that time. My opinion is they were Leaguers measuring 4ft 6in long, and had a maximum diameter of 3ft. For the other barrel sizes that’s another mystery. Ron

Everything was standardised! The Fully Framed Model lists and shows these (page 211): Leaguer 4' 6" x 2' 9", puncheon 3' 6" x 2' 8" and hogshead 3' 1" x 2' 4". Construction was also standard. Powder barrels had withy rather than iron hoops, for obvious reasons!

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Sizes and shapes of casks and barrels of the Royal Navy

By Long9Ron
February 16, 2013 in Discussion for a Ship's Deck Furniture, Guns, boats and other Fittings

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/38676-sizes-and-shapes-of-casks-and-barrels-of-the-royal-navy/

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Go to solution Solved by druxey, July 3

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Sizes and shapes of casks and barrels of the Royal Navy

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