An head

In the section of Blackston's commentries on the laws of England., in the section on the king's prerogative to fix standard weights and measures, I read:

Thus, under king Richard I, in his parliament holden at Westminster, A.D. 1197, it was ordained that there shall be only one weight and one measure throughout the kingdom . . . These original standards were called pondus regis, and mensura domini regis; and are directed by a variety of subsequent statutes to be kept in the exchequer, and all weights and measures to be made conformable thereto. But, as sir Edward Coke observes, though this hath so often by authority of parliament been enacted, yet it could never be effected; so forcible is custom with the multitude, when it hath gotten an head.

Why "an head"?

General rule for indefinite article before the letter 'h'. Does the sentence refer to getting an head start.

I still use 'an' before words like historic, hockey and horror film.

General rule for indefinite article before the letter 'h'

Surely that rule is only for the few words in English where the h is not pronounced: honest, hour, and the two others I can never remember?

#1, Always nice to meet a time traveller from the 18th century! In your century the initial 'h' sound in horror+ and +historic+ wasn't generally pronounced, so the words were preceded by +an+. In our present century, however, the 'h' is pronounced in most dialects (unless you're a Cockney) so the article +a is used.

Even in the 18th century, however, the practice was to use a before any voiced 'h' sound, so your "general rule" is complete and utter nonsense.

From the OED:

"An+ was often retained before +w+ and +y+ in 15th c., as +an wood, an woman, an yere, such an one+, and was regular before +h+ down to 17th c., as +an house, an happy, an hundred, an head+ (1665). Its history thus shows a gradual suppression of the +n before consonants of all kinds, and in all positions."

Maybe Blackstone (1766) picked it up from the bit of Coke (c. 1620) he was paraphrasing. I can't seem to find the Coke (2 Inst 41) on line, and it's not worth chasing down, just idle curiosity on my part. Thanks.

"I am but mad North,North-West : when the Winde is Southerly I know a Hawke from a Handsaw."

Thus apparently wrote Shakespeare in Hamlet (ca 1600) as printed in the First Folio (pub 1623), though I've not bothered with the tall esses.

Cervantes referenced this in Don Quixote, and when Smollett translated it (1755) he wrote "an hawk from a handsaw".

So it seems these things were somewhat variable and wandered back and forwards.

"This act concerning measures and weights, that there should be one measure and one weight through England, is grounded upon the law of God. . . . And this hath often by authority of parliament been enacted, but never could be effected, so forcible is custome concerning multitudes, when it hath gotten an head, therefore good lawes are timely to be executed, and not in the beginning to be neglected."

And Coke, bless him, had no problem starting a sentence with And.

I was hoping somebody else would do the work. Thanks, 889.

I wonder if Blackstone would have used "gotten" if he hadn't picked it up from Coke.

I looked to see where "an head" might show up. It seems to be popular in sermonizing kinds of things. My favorite, perhaps, is "How the Love of the Truth is the Best Preservative Against Popery," 1683.

It is an unquestionable Principle of Truth that the Church of Christ is in it self a Body, such a Body as hath an Head, whereon it depends, and without which it would immediately be dissolved; a Body without an Head is but a Carkass or part of a Carkass and this Head must be always present with it. An Head distant from the Body, separated from it, not united unto it by such ways and meaiis as are proper unto their Nature is of no use.

It goes on and on with "an head" while explaining why he Bible does not provide for a Pope to be an Head of the Church. I found it as late as 1805 in a book about the Song of Solomon. .

A wonderful BBC documentary I recently watched explained that in Shakespeare's times the 'h' was often dropped, so that 'hour' and 'whore' were pronounced the same. Hence one character was able to say a pun along the lines of "Aye, an extra hour is all the better."