Hi,

The value for the puncheon, as given with the Digital Tradition is not right for this song.

The relative sizes are:

1 Tun = 2 Butt = 3 Puncheon = 4 Oxhead = 6 Barrel
1 Barrel = 2 Kilderkin = 4 Fourthkin = 8 Pin

As can be seen from the lyrics, in this case the Fourthkin is equalled to 9 gallon, so the full unit, the barrel, would be 36. That makes the Tun 216 gallons, and a Puncheon being a third of that, it is 72 gallon.

Mind, these values I had understood to be beer measures, rather than ale measures, so it may well be that for ale a puncheon ought to be the value given in the DT, but for the song we have to stick with these values. I expect fitting ale measures in the metre of the song would prove quite a bit more difficult.

Bye
                                                               Mysha