PEOPLES’ WEIGHTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 270, 28 August 1935, Page 6

PEOPLES’ WEIGHTS

records of old scales The strangest pair of scales in Britain are in the old win© shop in Messrs. Berry, the King’s wine merchants, in London. They are more than seven feet high, and they have been used, for the last 200 years to weigh not only the choicest wines, but many of the best-known people in British history. Eight thick ledgers are kept in the shop’s safe. Each is filled with the names of Berry’s customers and their weights. Beau Brummel’s weight written more than 130 years ago, was 9st, 111 b. Warren Hastings’ weight was recorded in February, 1815, as 9st. 9lb. “Mr Pitt”—then Prime Minister of England—weighted lOst. Much heavier records are those of Queen Victoria’s father, the Duke of Kent, who was 16st Sill), in June, 1814. Viscount Dudley turned the scale at 20st lllb., in 1771. A hundred and sixty years later—in December, 1930 — Viscount Castlerosse came in with a neat 18st 31b. One of the most fascinating entries in the book is the record of Byron’s weight. Here, almost year by year, is the story of the poet’s frantic efforts at slimming. In 1806, when lie was only 16, he turned the scale at 13st. Here are the entries: —

1806 — January 4, 13st. 121 b. Boots no hat. 1807— July 8, 10st. 131 b. Shoes. July 23, lOst. 0 lb. Shoes. August 13, lOst. llilb. Shoes 1808— May 27, list. lllb. Shoes. 1809— June 10, list. oglb. Shoes. 1811—July 15, 9st. llilb. Shoes. The gap between 1809 and 1811 was when Byron was living on the Continent. He swam the Hellespont in 1810.