A cran, in use from at least as early as the 18th century, was a unit of measure of landed uncleaned

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocea ...

used in the North Sea

fishing industry The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including ...

. In 1852 it was defined to be the equivalent of one standard box of about 37.5 imperial gallons - typically around 1200 fish, but varying anywhere between 700 and 2500. In metric units it is about 170.5 litres. The word is from

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well a ...

, meaning "lot, measure of herring, tree". "Scottish Gaelic ''crann'' tree, lot, measure of herring; akin to

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...

''crann'' tree".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cran (Unit) Obsolete units of measurement Fishing industry