English units are the historical
units of measurementA unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention and/or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same physical quantity. Any other value of the physical quantity can be expressed as a simple multiple of the unit of...
used in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
up to 1824, which evolved as a combination of the
Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
and
RomanThe ancient Roman units of measurement were built on the Hellenic system with Egyptian, Hebrew, and Mesopotamian influences. The Roman units were comparatively consistent and well documented.-Length:Notes...
systems of units. They were redefined in the United Kingdom in 1824 by a Weights and Measures Act, which retained many but not all of the unit names with slightly different values, and again in the 1970s by the
International System of UnitsThe International System of Units is the modern form of the metric system and is generally a system of units of measurement devised around seven base units and the convenience of the number ten. The older metric system included several groups of units...
as a subset of the
metric systemThe metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
. In modern UK usage, the term is considered ambiguous, as it could refer either to the imperial system used in the UK, or to the US customary system of unit. The common term used in the UK for the non-metric system is
imperial units or
imperial measurements, since they were used as a standard throughout the British Empire and the Commonwealth.
Within the United States, the same term is commonly used to refer to the United States Customary System, which retains some unit names but with different values, as well as to the imperial units.
Various standards have applied to English units at different times, in different places, and for different applications. Prior to the
Norman conquestThe Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066 the
Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
system of measurement had been based on the units of the barleycorn and the
gyrd (rod), inherited from tribes from
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After the Norman conquest,
Roman unitsThe ancient Roman units of measurement were built on the Hellenic system with Egyptian, Hebrew, and Mesopotamian influences. The Roman units were comparatively consistent and well documented.-Length:Notes...
were reintroduced. The resultant system of English units was a combination of the Anglo-Saxon and Roman systems.
Later development of the English system continued by defining the units by law in the
Magna CartaMagna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
of 1215, and issuing measurement standards from the then capital
WinchesterWinchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
. Standards were renewed in 1496, 1588 and 1758. The last
Imperial Standard Yard in bronze was made in 1845; it served as the standard in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
until the yard was internationally redefined as 0.9144 metre in 1959 (statutory implementation: Weights and Measures Act of 1963). The English system then spread to other parts of the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
Length
PoppyseedPoppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy . The tiny kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years...
: about of a barleycorn
Line : of a barleycorn
Barleycorn : Smallest Anglo-Saxon unit of length. Notionally the length of a corn of
barleyBarley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, its actual length was determined in relation to a particular rod of metal, typically a yard-bar, and thus 1/108th of a yard, 1/36 of foot, or 1/3 of an inch. The unit survived after 1066, as the base unit from which the inch was nominally defined. 3 barleycorns comprising 1 inch was the legal definition of the inch in many medieval laws, both of England and Wales, from the 10th century Laws of
Hywel DdaHywel Dda , was the well-thought-of king of Deheubarth in south-west Wales, who eventually came to rule Wales from Prestatyn to Pembroke. As a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, through his father Cadell, Hywel was a member of the Dinefwr branch of the dynasty and is also named Hywel ap Cadell...
to the 1324 definition of the inch enacted by
Edward IIEdward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
. Note the relation to the
grain unit of weight. This archaic measure is still the basis for current UK and U.S.
shoe sizeA shoe size is an alphanumerical indication of the fitting size of a shoe for a person. Often it just consists of a number indicating the length because many shoemakers only provide a standard width for economic reasons....
s, with the largest shoe size taken as thirteen inches (a size 13) and then counting backwards in barleycorn units, although the original derivation was: less than 13 barleycorns: infants with no shoes; 13 to 26 barleycorns: children's sizes 1 to 12; 26 to 39 barleycorns: men's sizes 1 to 13.
DigitThe digit or finger is an ancient and obsolete non-SI unit of measurement of length. It was originally based on the breadth of a human finger...
: inch
FingerA finger , is usually seven eighths of an inch or 2.2225 cm . The width of an adult human male finger tip is indeed about two centimetres. The inch, on the other hand, originates in the breadth of a thumb. In English this unit has mostly fallen out of use....
: inch
HandThe hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
: 4 inches
Ynch,
inchAn inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
: Anglo Saxon inch, 3 barleycorns. Based on the Roman
uncia from 1066.
NailA nail, when used as a unit, is usually one sixteenth of a certain base unit. In English usage the most common base units were the foot and the yard for length, the acre for area and the hundredweight for mass....
: 3 digits = inches = yard
PalmThe palm may be either one of two obsolete non-SI units of measurement of length.In English usage the palm, or small palm, also called handbreadth or handsbreadth, was originally based on the breadth of a human hand without the thumb, and has origins in ancient Egypt...
: 3 inches
ShaftmentThe shaftment is a unit of length, 6 - 6½ inches or 2 palms, i.e. 15.24 cm. A shaftment is the width of the fist and outstretched thumb. The lengths of poles, staves, etc...
: Width of the hand and outstretched thumb,
ynches before 1066, 6 inches thereafter
Link : 7.92 inches or one 100th of a chain.
SpanA span is the distance measured by a human hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. In ancient times, a span was considered to be half a cubit...
: Width of the outstretched hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger, 3 palms = 9 inches
Foot : Usually 13
inches but also other variants. Shortened to 12 inches by basing it on the Roman
pes from 1066.
CubitThe cubit is a traditional unit of length, based on the length of the forearm. Cubits of various lengths were employed in many parts of the world in Antiquity, in the Middle Ages and into Early Modern Times....
: From fingertips to elbow, 18 inches.
YardA yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
: Introduced after 1066, 3 feet = 36 inches.
Ell : From fingertip of outstretched arm to opposite shoulder, 20 nails = yard or 45 inches. Mostly for measuring cloth
FathomA fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems, used especially for measuring the depth of water.There are 2 yards in an imperial or U.S. fathom...
: Distance fingertip to fingertip arms outstretched, 6 feet
RodThe rod is a unit of length equal to 5.5 yards, 5.0292 metres, 16.5 feet, or of a statute mile. A rod is the same length as a perch or a pole. In old English, the term lug is also used.-History:...
(= perch): Measurement of land, might have been from 20 "natural feet". Retained its length but redefined as feet after 1066. (See also perch as an area and a volume unit.)
ChainA chain is a unit of length; it measures 66 feet or 22 yards or 100 links . There are 10 chains in a furlong, and 80 chains in one statute mile. An acre is the area of 10 square chains...
: four linear
rods. Named after the length of surveyor's chain used to measure distances until quite recently. Any of several actual chains used for land surveying and divided in links.
Gunter's chainEdmund Gunter , English mathematician, of Welsh descent, was born in Hertfordshire in 1581.He was educated at Westminster School, and in 1599 was elected a student of Christ Church, Oxford. He took orders, became a preacher in 1614, and in 1615 proceeded to the degree of bachelor in divinity...
, introduced in the 17th century, is 66 feet.
FurlongA furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
: "One plough's furrow long" (Saxon
furrow is
furh), the distance a plough team could be driven without rest. This varied from region to region depending on soil type and local habit. In modern context, it is deemed to be 660 feet, 40 rods or ten
chains.
MileA mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
: Introduced after 1066, originally the Roman mile at 5000 feet, in 1592 it was extended to 5280 feet to make it an even number (8) of
furlongA furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s.
LeagueA league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
: Usually three
mileA mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
s. Intended to be an hour's walk.
Area
AcreThe acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
: area of land one
chain (four
rods) in width by one
furlong in length. As the traditional
furlong could vary in length from country to country, so did the
acre. In England an
acre was 4,840 square yards, in
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
6,150 square yards and in Ireland 7,840 square yards. It is a Saxon unit, meaning
field. Probably meant to be "as much area as could be ploughed in one day".
RoodA rood is a cross or crucifix, especially a large one in a church; a large sculpture or sometimes painting of the crucifixion of Jesus.Rood is an archaic word for pole, from Old English rōd "pole", specifically "cross", from Proto-Germanic *rodo, cognate to Old Saxon rōda, Old High German ruoda...
: one quarter of an
acre, confusingly sometimes called an acre itself in many ancient contexts. One
furlong in length by one
rod in width, or 40 square
rods.
CarucateThe carucate or ploughland was a unit of assessment for tax used in most Danelaw counties of England, and is found for example in Domesday Book. The carucate was based on the area a plough team of eight oxen could till in a single annual season...
: an area equal to that which can be ploughed by one eight-oxen team in a single year (also called a
plough or
carve). Approximately 120 acres.
Bovate: the amount of land one ox can plough in a single year (also called an oxgate). Approximately 15 acres or one eighth of a
carucate.
Perch: an area equal to one square
rod. (See also perch as a length and volume unit.)
VirgateThe virgate or yardland was a unit of land area measurement used in medieval England, typically outside the Danelaw, and was held to be the amount of land that a team of two oxen could plough in a single annual season. It was equivalent to a quarter of a hide, so was nominally thirty acres...
: the amount of land a pair of oxen can plough in a single year. Approximately 30 acres (also called
yard land).
Administrative units
HideThe hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
: four to eight
bovates. A unit of yield, rather than area, it measured the amount of land able to support a single
householdThe household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
for agricultural and taxation purposes.
Knight's feeIn feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a measure of a unit of land deemed sufficient from which a knight could derive not only sustenance for himself and his esquires, but also the means to furnish himself and his equipage with horses and armour to fight for his overlord in...
: five hides. A
knight's fee was expected to produce one fully equipped soldier for a
knightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
's retinue in times of war.
HundredA hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
or wapentake: 100
hides grouped for administrative purposes.
General
Mouthful: about
fluid ounceA fluid ounce is a unit of volume equal to about 28.4 mL in the imperial system or about 29.6 mL in the US system. The fluid ounce is distinct from the ounce, which measures mass...
(oz.)
Pony: Mouthful × 2 = 1 oz.
Jigger: 1.5 oz.
Jack or Jackpot: 2.5 fl. oz.
(or double this for milk and beer in Northern England)
Gill: Jack × 2 = 5 fl. oz.
(or double this for milk and beer in Northern England)
Cup: Gill × 2 = 10 fl. oz.
PintThe pint is a unit of volume or capacity that was once used across much of Europe with values varying from state to state from less than half a litre to over one litre. Within continental Europe, the pint was replaced with the metric system during the nineteenth century...
: Cup × 2 = 20 fl. oz
("A pint of pure water weighs a pound and a quarter")
QuartThe quart is a unit of volume equal to a quarter of a gallon, two pints, or four cups. Since gallons of various sizes have historically been in use, quarts of various sizes have also existed; see gallon for further discussion. Three of these kinds of quarts remain in current use, all approximately...
: Pint × 2 = 40 fl. oz
Pottle or Half Gallon: Quart × 2 = 80 fl. oz or
gallonThe gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
.
GallonThe gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
: Pottle × 2 = 4 Quarts = 160 fl. oz.
PeckA peck is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent to 2 gallons or 8 dry quarts or 16 dry pints. Two pecks make a kenning , and four pecks make a bushel....
: Gallon × 2 = 320 fl. oz.
KenningA kenning is an obsolete unit of dry measure in the Imperial system, equal to two pecks or half of one bushel....
or Pail: Peck × 2 = 4 gal.
BushelA bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
: Kenning × 2 = 8 gal.
Strike: Bushel × 2 = 16 gal.
Coomb: Strike × 2 = 32 gal.
Cask: Coomb × 2 = 64 gal.
BarrelA barrel is one of several units of volume, with dry barrels, fluid barrels , oil barrel, etc...
: Cask × 2. In the U.K. a beer barrel is 36 imperial gallons (43 US gal; 164 L). In the U.S. most fluid barrels (apart from oil) are 31.5 US gallons (26 imp gal; 119 L) (half a hogshead), but a beer barrel is 31 US gallons (26 imp gal; 117 L). An oil barrel (bbl) is 42 US gallons (34.9723 imp gal; 158.9873 L).
HogsheadA hogshead is a large cask of liquid . More specifically, it refers to a specified volume, measured in either Imperial units or U.S. customary units, primarily applied to alcoholic beverages such as wine, ale, or cider....
: Barrel × 2. A hogshead of wine is 63 wine/63 US gallons (52.5 imp gal; 238.5 L), while a hogshead of beer or ale is 54 gallons (250 L if old beer/ale gallons, 245 L if imperial).
ButtThe butt or pipe is an old English unit of wine casks, holding two hogsheads ....
or Pipe: Hogshead × 2 = 128 gal.
TunThe tun is an old English unit of wine cask volume, holding about 954 litres, almost a cubic metre. Etymologically it is identical to the ton, a unit of mass or weight and constituted approximately 2,048 pints or pounds. Originally, it was a genuine unit of volume and measured 256 gallons ,...
: Butt × 2 = 256 gal.
(A Tun would be 2,560 lb. slightly heavier than the English ton of 2240 lb.)
perch: In both the United Kingdom and America, in addition to perch as a measure of length, there is also the perch which refers to the volume measurement of stone; one perch is equal to 16.5 ft × 1.5 ft × 1 ft = 24.75
cu. ft.The cubic foot is an Imperial and US customary unit of volume, used in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is defined as the volume of a cube with sides of one foot in length.-Conversions:- Symbols :...
of dry stone. The relationship to the unit of length (one perch = 16.5 feet) should be obvious.
cord: 128 cubic feet of firewood; a stack of firewood 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft.
| | mouthful | pony | jack | gill | cup | pint | quart | pottle | gallon | peck | kenning | bushel | strike | coomb | hogshead | butt/pipe |
2n gal. |
| 1 mouthful = |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
–8 |
| 1 pony = |
2 |
|1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
–7 |
| 1 jack = |
4 |
2 |
|1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
–6 |
| 1 gill = |
8 |
4 |
2 |
|1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
–5 |
| 1 cup = |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
|1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
–4 |
| 1 pint = |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
|1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
–3 |
| 1 quart = |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
|1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
–2 |
| 1 pottle = |
128 |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
|1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
–1 |
| 1 gallon = |
256 |
128 |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
|1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
| 1 peck = |
512 |
256 |
128 |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
|1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
| 1 kenning = |
1,024 |
512 |
256 |
128 |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
| 1 bushel = |
2,048 |
1,024 |
512 |
256 |
128 |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
| 1 strike = |
4,096 |
2,048 |
1,024 |
512 |
256 |
128 |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
4 |
| 1 coomb = |
8,192 |
4,096 |
2,048 |
1,024 |
512 |
256 |
128 |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
5 |
| 1 hogshead = |
16,384 |
8,192 |
4,096 |
2,048 |
1,024 |
512 |
256 |
128 |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
6 |
| 1 butt/pipe = |
32,768 |
16,384 |
8,192 |
4,096 |
2,048 |
1,024 |
512 |
256 |
128 |
64 |
32 |
16 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
Weight
The
AvoirdupoisThe avoirdupois system is a system of weights based on a pound of 16 ounces. It is the everyday system of weight used in the United States and is still widely used to varying degrees by many people in Canada, the United Kingdom, and some other former British colonies despite the official adoption...
,
TroyTroy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, gemstones, and black powder.There are 12 troy ounces per troy pound, rather than the 16 ounces per pound found in the more common avoirdupois system. The troy ounce is 480 grains, compared with the avoirdupois ounce,...
and Apothecary systems of weights all shared the same finest unit, the
grainA grain is a unit of measurement of mass that is nominally based upon the mass of a single seed of a cereal. From the Bronze Age into the Renaissance the average masses of wheat and barley grains were part of the legal definition of units of mass. However, there is no evidence of any country ever...
, however they differ as to the number of grains there are in a dram, ounce and
poundThe pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. This grain was legally defined as the weight of a grain seed from the middle of an ear of
barleyBarley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
. There also was a smaller
wheat grain, said to be (barley) grains or about 48.6 milligrams.
Avoirdupois
GrainA grain is a unit of measurement of mass that is nominally based upon the mass of a single seed of a cereal. From the Bronze Age into the Renaissance the average masses of wheat and barley grains were part of the legal definition of units of mass. However, there is no evidence of any country ever...
(gr) : 64.79891 mg, of a pound
DramDram or DRAM may refer to:As a unit of measure:* Dram , an imperial unit of mass and volume* Armenian dram, a monetary unit* Dirham, a unit of currency in several Arab nationsOther uses:...
/drachm (dr) : 27.34375 gr (sixteenth of an ounce) (possibly originated as the weight of silver in Ancient Greek coin drachma)
OunceThe ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
(oz) : 16 dr = 437.5 grains ≈ 28 g
PoundThe pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(lb) : 16 oz = 7000 grains ≈ 454 g (NB: 'lb' stands for libra)
Quarter : cwt
HundredweightThe hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which...
(cwt) : 112 lb (
long) or 100 lb (
short)
TonThe ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
: 20 cwt
Additions:
NailA nail, when used as a unit, is usually one sixteenth of a certain base unit. In English usage the most common base units were the foot and the yard for length, the acre for area and the hundredweight for mass....
: cwt = 7 lb
clove : 7 lb (wool) or 8 lb (cheese)
Stone (st) : 2 cloves = 14 lb (an Anglo-Saxon unit changed to fit in)
TodTod may refer to:Surname:* James Tod, British East India Company army officer and political agent, author of Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan* John Tod, 1779-1830, an historical member of the U.S...
: 2 st = cwt (long)
Troy and Tower
The Troy and Tower pounds and their subdivisions were used for coins and precious metals. The Tower pound, which is based upon an earlier Anglo-Saxon pound, was abolished in 1527.
In terms of nominal currency units, a
poundThe pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
was 20 shillings of 12 pennies each (i.e. 240) from the late 8th century (
CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
/
Offa of MerciaOffa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...
) to 1971 in the United Kingdom.
Troy
GrainA grain is a unit of measurement of mass that is nominally based upon the mass of a single seed of a cereal. From the Bronze Age into the Renaissance the average masses of wheat and barley grains were part of the legal definition of units of mass. However, there is no evidence of any country ever...
(gr) : = 64.79891 mg
PennyweightA pennyweight is a unit of mass that is equal to 24 grains, 1/20 of a troy ounce, 1/240 of a troy pound, approximately 0.054857 avoirdupois ounce and exactly 1.55517384 grams....
(dwt) : 24 gr ≈ 1.56 g
OunceThe troy ounce is a unit of imperial measure. In the present day it is most commonly used to gauge the weight of precious metals. One troy ounce is nowadays defined as exactly 0.0311034768 kg = 31.1034768 g. There are approximately 32.1507466 troy oz in 1 kg...
(oz t) : 20 dwt = 480 gr ≈ 31.1 g
Pound (lb t) : 12 oz t = 5760 gr ≈ 373 g
MarkThe mark was originally a unit of mass for gold and silver common throughout western Europe, and was equal to 8 troy ounces . Variations throughout the Middle Ages were, however, considerable.Later, the weight called "mark" was generally half-a-pound...
: 8 oz t
Tower
GrainA grain is a unit of measurement of mass that is nominally based upon the mass of a single seed of a cereal. From the Bronze Age into the Renaissance the average masses of wheat and barley grains were part of the legal definition of units of mass. However, there is no evidence of any country ever...
(gr) : = gr t ≈ 45.5 mg
PennyweightA pennyweight is a unit of mass that is equal to 24 grains, 1/20 of a troy ounce, 1/240 of a troy pound, approximately 0.054857 avoirdupois ounce and exactly 1.55517384 grams....
(dwt) : 32 gr T = gr t ≈ 1.46 g
Tower ounce : 24 dwt T = 640 gr T = dwt t = 450 gr t ≈ 29 g
Tower pound : 12 oz T = 240 dwt T = 7680 gr T = 225 dwt t = 5400 gr t ≈ 350 g
MarkThe mark was originally a unit of mass for gold and silver common throughout western Europe, and was equal to 8 troy ounces . Variations throughout the Middle Ages were, however, considerable.Later, the weight called "mark" was generally half-a-pound...
: 8 oz T =
Apothecary
GrainA grain is a unit of measurement of mass that is nominally based upon the mass of a single seed of a cereal. From the Bronze Age into the Renaissance the average masses of wheat and barley grains were part of the legal definition of units of mass. However, there is no evidence of any country ever...
(gr) : = 64.79891 mg
Scruple (s ap) : 20 gr
DramDram or DRAM may refer to:As a unit of measure:* Dram , an imperial unit of mass and volume* Armenian dram, a monetary unit* Dirham, a unit of currency in several Arab nationsOther uses:...
(dr ap) : 3 s ap = 60 gr
OunceThe ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
(oz ap) : 8 dr ap = 480 gr
PoundThe pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(lb ap) : 5760 gr = 1 lb t
Others
Merchants/Mercantile pound : 15 oz tower = 6750 gr ≈ 437.4 g
London/Mercantile pound : 15 oz troy = 16 oz tower = 7200 gr ≈ 466.6 g
Mercantile stone : 12 lb L ≈ 5.6 kg
Butcher's stone : 8 lb ≈ 3.63 kg
Sack : 26 st = 364 lb ≈ 165 kg
The carat was once specified as four grains in the English-speaking world.
Some local units in the English dominion were (re-)defined in simple terms of English units, such as the Indian
tolaThe tola , also transliterated as tolah or tole, is a traditional South Asian unit of mass, now standardised as 180 troy grains or exactly 3/8 troy ounce. It was the base unit of mass in the British Indian system of weights and measures introduced in 1833, although it had been in use for...
of 180 grains.
See also
- Approximate conversion of units
- Comparison of the imperial and US customary measurement systems
- Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
- English Engineering Units
Some fields of engineering in the United States use a system of measurement of physical quantities known as the English Engineering Units. The system is based on English units of measure.-Definition:...
- Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
- History of measurement
Units of measurement were among the earliest tools invented by humans. Primitive societies needed rudimentary measures for numerous tasks such as: constructing dwellings of an appropriate size and shape, fashioning clothing, or bartering food or raw materials....
- Imperial units
- Metrication
Metrication refers to the introduction and use of the SI metric system, the international standard for physical measurements. This has involved a long process of independent and systematic conversions of countries from various local systems of weights and measures. Metrication began in France in...
- Obsolete Scottish units of measurement
Scotland had a distinct system of measures and weights until at least the late 18th century, based on the ell as a unit of length, the stone as a unit of mass and the boll and the firlot as units of dry measure...
- Plan for Establishing Uniformity in the Coinage, Weights, and Measures of the United States
- Spanish customary units
- Slug and poundal
The poundal is a unit of force that is part of the foot-pound-second system of units, in Imperial units introduced in 1877, and is from the specialized subsystem of English Absolut ....
- Weights and measures
- Winchester measure
Winchester measure is a set of legal standards of volume defined in the city of Winchester, England during the tenth century and in use, with some modifications, until the present day.-National standard:...
External links