Tuesday, November the 5th, 2013

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English Heads

The following is a comparative estimate of the dimensions of the Head of the inhabitants in several counties of England.

The male Head in England, at maturity, averages from 6 and a half to 7 and five-eighths inches in diameter; the medium and most general size being 7 inches. The female head is smaller, varying from 6 and three-eighths to 7 or 7 and a half inches, the medium male size. Fixing the medium of the English head at 7 inches, there can be no difficulty in distinguishing the portions of society above from those below that measurement.

London – The majority of the higher classes are above the medium, while among the lower it is very rare to find a large head.

Spitalfields Weavers have extremely small heads, 6 and a half, 6 and five-eighths, 6 and three-quarter inches being the prevailing admeasurements.

Coventry—Almost exclusively peopled by weavers; the same facts are peculiarly observed.

Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk contain a larger proportion of small heads than any part of the empire; Essex and Hertfordshire particularly. 7 inches in diameter is here, as in Spitalfields and Coventry, quite unusual. 6 and five-eighths or 6 and a half are more general; and 6 and three-eighths, the usual size for a boy of six years of age, is frequently to be met with here in the full maturity of manhood.

Kent, Surrey, and Sussex—An increase of size of the usual average is observed; and the inland counties, in general, are nearly upon the same scale.

Devonshire and Cornwall – The heads of full sizes.

Herefordshire—Superior to the London average.

Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumberland, and Northumberland have more large heads, in proportion, than any part of the country.

Scotland—The full-sized head is known to be possessed by the inhabitants; their measurement ranging between 7 and three-quarters and 7 and seven-eighths even to 8 inches. This extreme size, however, is rare.

John Timbs, Things Not Generally Known (1860)