[liquidben]

I had to Google "purrel -purell" to track that down, and even then it wasn't an immediate hit.

According to WordNik.com, which cites the "Century Dictionary", a purrel is "A list ordained to be at the end of kersies to prevent deceit in diminishing their length."

Wasn't that helpful?! According to Wiktionary, a kersie is Afrikaans for cherry.

Ergo a purrel is a list at the end of cherries to prevent lies about their length. Clear as mud, eh?

(Yes, none of this is helpful at all, but I'm cracking up)

http://www.wordnik.com/words/purrel http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kersie

[dalke]

That's the same conclusion I found, using the same tools. I tried something different this time and searched for "purrel oed". Managed to find a citation from c 1617 in "The Acts and Ordinances of the Eastland Company". "Noe brother of this Companya .. shall .. halfe or Cut .. in the myddle of any Cloth .. Nor shall after the Laste daye of August 1618 shipp any Cloth into Th'eastparts which shall have two purrells or a particon in the middle."

I think I just added more mud.