From Anglo Saxon times the WINCHESTER bushel of 2,150.42 cubic inches was the standard measure, and a standard bushel was preserved in the town hall of Winchester.

It had been enacted that whoever should buy or sell any corn or salt by any other than the Winchester measure of eight gallons, and that without shaking the bushel by the buyer, should forfeit the sum of 40s and all the corn so bought or sold, or the value thereof.

The customary bushel used in the East Riding, however, was considerably larger than the Winchester, and this led to corn merchants invariably buying by the East Riding bushel and selling by the Winchester.

The law stating that a Winchester measure should be used was a good one and the magistrates frequently recommended its adoption, and the growers of corn held their meetings and at such meetings resolved to sell by the legal measure only.

The corn merchants, however, got the better of the producers and gradually and silently returned to their old practice, and the public gave way because it was unpleasant to an individual to carry the laws into execution against the purchasers of his corn, or because the purchasers made an outcry against them in the market for selling by a bushel less than customary, though they themselves always did it.

In the 17th century Henry Best of Elmswell supervised everything himself and did not rely on the reports of his workers. His farming lore, his homeliness, his respect for the work and craftsmanship of his workers were all noted. At all times he wanted to know he was getting value for money, whether he was buying or selling. He had his own standard measure of a bushel, which was a large dough tub:
'... our kimblinge is a just bushell and wee have founde such difference in the millers that in the grinding of two bushells of corne, wee have received a peck and a halfe more of tempsed meale from the one than wee have had of the other of untempsed meal for his two bushells …'
(tempsed - sieved through a hair sieve)

At Malton market, where much corn from the East Riding was sold, it was customary to sell oats by weight, 24 stone of 14lbs to the stone, being considered equal to a quarter of eight customary bushells. This was also illegal as it was enacted that where corn was sold by weight, 57 pounds of wheat, 55e pounds of rye, 49 pounds of barley and 38 pounds of oats, should be deemed equal to one Winchester bushell.

The Justices had appointed persons to examine the weights and balances in the respective districts. This had had the desired effect, as at first many deficiencies were discovered, many weights and balances were dishonest and many people who used them were brought to punishment and shame. The same would happen if only the same thoroughness had been applied in enforcing the uniformity of the standard bushell.

'It is to be with a plain bottom, 18 and a half inches wide throughout and eight inches deep.'

The coal measure varied at almost every port on the coast between Newcastle and London, gradually diminishing as it proceeded southwards with the price remaining nearly the same. At Newcastle a chaldron was a measure of 53 hundredweight and at Bridlington it was represented as containing 48 upheaped Winchester bushells in the chaldron, but it was thought that if it was actually measured it would not amount to that quantity. The legal measure upon which duty was paid was 36 upheaped Winchester bushells per chaldron.

On The Wolds and throughout the greater part of the East Riding, wool was sold by the stone, a stone being 16 and a quarter pounds. In Holderness the todd of 28 and a half pounds was in general use.
The pound of fresh butter varied in the different markets and baskets, from 16 to 20 ounces. When salted it was sold by the firkin, containing 56 six pounds.

Henry Best at Elmswell records :
'Butter is bought and solde by the pownde or the cake, and every cake there is two pownde'.