I just had a bit of an argument with a Pyrex measuring jug about what constitutes a pint. It claimed 16 fl oz which seemed rather too light (given the marmelade recipe is one of Mrs Beeton's). Sure enough -

http://www.nationalreview.com/ask_editor/ask-an-editor-answers.shtml

So jot this down:

"A pint of pure water weighs a pound and a quarter
(except in the US, where it weighs somewhat less)".

Otherwise I have little complaint about Pyrex. Excellent stuff.

You gotta love the S.I.

1 liter water weighs 1 Kg, by definition.
Easy & Elegant

i dunno, you yanks and your lightweight water. Is that a fad or something?

Locutus - yeah, except liters aren't authentically SI. 1 liter = 1 cubic decameter, and of course because it's cubic, it's 1/1000th of a cubic meter.

So, since base SI units are the gram and the meter, 1 gram = 1/1000th of a cubic decameter = 1 cubic centimeter of water. And a cubic meter of water weighs a ton (literally).

Ahh, the power and beauty of base ten.

I agree metric rules ok. Oz is pretty comprehensively metricated but Mrs B.'s book prefers not to be. The recipe is pretty well the same as #1568 here:

http://www.mrsbeeton.com/31-chapter31.html

Note - them's definitely the full British pints.

That will teach you to buy American measuring instruments for English recipes.  It's also why recipes given by weight are much happier.  This makes it easier for me to use German beer recipes here (in theory at least: sometimes they want equipment I don't have)

"An English Pint is bigger than an American Pint".  Well, THAT explains why they went metric.  The world doesn't need two different Pints.

That also explains much about British drinking habits.

Yeah, and what's this shit with FIVE quarts to a gallon?  Damn!