Thousand (Pilchards)

Ten long hundreds of pilchards, being 1,200 fish rather than a thousand.

The pilchard thousand inherits the long hundred’s awkwardness and multiplies it: ten hundreds of 120 gives 1,200, so a thousand of pilchards contains twenty per cent more fish than the name suggests. Three thousands filled a hogshead, giving a nominal 3,600 fish, though the actual count ranged between 2,500 and 4,500 depending on the size of the run. Small catches from individual driving boats were usually quoted in hundreds or thousands, while the great seine catches were counted in hogsheads outright.