the differance between the spanish and english league --2.6 vs 3 miles

[ivan salis]

offically the "spanish league" was outlawed for use by the king in 1568 ---however it was still heavily used by both folks in the south american colonies and by spanish seafarers -- the english league was just about 3 miles (2.9) -- often folks today reading old spanish documents use the rough 3 mile "english" league -- thus adding 4 tenths of mile per league by doing so (for a 15 league distance its 39 vs 45 miles--(thats a big 6 mile error!!)-- if your doing research and the "numbers" aren't adding up correctly to you-- try using the 2.6 per league measure -- you might be deeply surprized at what you might find --- don't merely take my word for it ---type in "distance of a spanish league" into your search engine and then read it for yourself --- ---seaman are very "habit" driven people and hidiously slow to change in their ways -- the fact that the leauge was "offically" outlawed in 1568 did not stop them from using it * note the fact the term was recorded as ---- "leauges" thus it was still being used although "offically" banned ------ I was a seaman for 27 years before recently retiring --my family has a very long tradition of going to sea --almost everyone of the men off my father side did it for well over 100 years that I know as a fact -- in my life time my grandfarther,dad,uncle, older brother,cousin and myself did it (merchant seaman sailors) -- my very oldest brother was a coast guard man ( the black sheep we kid him ) the only one left sailing today my nephew --in the navy -- Ivan

 

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[Darren in NC]

Thanks, Ivan. It's been awhile since I researched it, but off the top of my head I remember the 3 miles being a rounded number. It was actually 2.9, which adds up to quite a difference when long distances are being considered. I'm not exactly sure when 2.9 became the norm from the 2.6, but it would be a great study for somebody to measure the known distances from the 1500s and compare them to the known distances in later centuries. Great subject.

Darren