I'd agree with Jim Parker that the "pair of shillards" probably refers to a
"stillyard," which was a balance scale principally used for weighing
agricultural products. "Stillyard" is itself a corruption of "steelyard." A
couple specimens in iron and brass are illustrated at the following links.
Try searching on stillyard scale and steelyard for numerous other hits.

http://www.scales-and-weights.com/scales/html/steelyards/romschnell.htm

http://www.scales-and-weights.com/scales/html/steelyards/minibrass.htm







                                                                                                                                       
                      Grant Q                                                                                                          
                      <[log in to unmask]        To:       [log in to unmask]                                                              
                      M>                       cc:       (bcc: Vergil Noble/MWAC/NPS)                                                  
                      Sent by:                 Subject:  mystery object: "Pair of Shillards"                                           
                      HISTORICAL                                                                                                       
                      ARCHAEOLOGY                                                                                                      
                      <[log in to unmask]                                                                                                
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                      08/16/2005 06:08                                                                                                 
                      PM MST                                                                                                           
                      Please respond to                                                                                                
                      HISTORICAL                                                                                                       
                      ARCHAEOLOGY                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                       




Recently while doing some research, I came across the
mention of a "pair of shillards" in an estate
inventory. After much searching, I've had no luck
determining what a shillard was.

A Google search for "pair of shillards" returns
several hits of them in estate inventories--but
nothing with clues about use, context, etc, so I know
it is not a spelling error or transcription error.  A
perusal of many books of 18th century tools, kitchen
wares, and furniture proved unsuccessful as well. Even
the trusty Oxford English Dictionary has no mention of
them.

Any ideas, references, clues, etc would be greatly
appreciated.

And if anyone can solve that one, how about another
one...."Pethy auger"

-Grant
===============
Grant Quertermous
Staff Archaeologist
Ash Lawn-Highland
1000 James Monroe Parkway
Charlottesville  VA 22902





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