Weights & Measures

Troy weight

24 grains = 1 pennyweight
20 pennyweights = 1 ounce (480 grains)
12 ounces = 1 pound (5760 grains)

Diamonds and pearls are weighed by Carats of 4 grains each (equivalent to 3.2 Troy grains).

The Troy ounce is equal to 150 Diamond Carats.

Gold, when pure, is rated as 24 carats fine; one part alloy makes it 23 carats fine, and so on.

 

Avoirdupois weight

16 drams = 1 ounce (437.5 grains Troy)
16 ounces (oz) = 1 pound (7000 grains Troy)
14 pounds (lb) = 1 stone
28 pounds = 1 quarter
4 quarters = 1 hundredweight (112 pounds)
20 hundredweights (cwt) = 1 ton (2240 pounds)

Avoirdupois weight was used for all general merchandise

 

Apothecaries weight

20 grains = 1 scruple
3 scruples = 1 dram
8 drams = 1 ounce
12 ounces = 1 pound

Used for dispensing drugs, etc.

 

Wool weight

14 pounds = 1 stone
2 stones = 1 tod
6.5 tods = 1 wey
2 weys = 1 sack (3.5 cwt)
12 sacks = 1 last (29 cwt)

In foreign markets, the pack of 240 pound was common. This was useful because the price in pounds sterling per sack was the same as the price in pence per pound weight.

In some parts of England and Scotland the stone of 24 pounds was sometimes used. In Ireland, the stone was commonly 16 pounds.

 

Measures of length

Linear measure

12 inches = 1 foot
3 feet = 1 yard
5.5 yards = 1 rod, pole or perch
4 poles = 1 chain
10 chains = 1 furlong
8 furlongs = 1 mile
3 miles = 1 league

Surveyors' measure

7.92 inches = 1 link
100 links = 1 chain
80 chains = 1 mile
10 square chains = 1 acre

Square measure

144 square inches = 1 square foot
9 square feet = 1 square yard
30.25 square yards = 1 square pole
40 square poles = 1 rood
4 roods = 1 acre
640 acres = 1 square mile

Solid or cubic measure

1728 cubic inches = 1 cubic foot
27 cubic feet = 1 cubic yard
5 cubic feet = 1 barrel bulk shipping
40 cubic feet = 1 ton shipping
40 cubic feet = 1 load hard timber
50 cubic feet = 1 load foreign fir

Capacity

4 gills = 1 pint = 34 cu.in. (approx.)
2 pints = 1 quart = 69 cu.in. (approx.)
4 quarts = 1 gallon = 277.25 cu.in. (approx.)
2 gallons = 1 peck = 544.5 cu.in. (approx.)
4 pecks = 1 bushel = 2218.5 cu.in. (approx.)
8 bushels = 1 quarter = 10.25 cu.ft. (approx.)
5 quarters = 1 load = 51 cu.ft. (approx.)
36 bushels = 1 chaldron = 46 cu.ft. (approx.)

A bushel of wheat weighs on average 60 pounds

A bushel of barley weighs on average 47 pounds

A bushel of oats weighs on average 40 pounds

A gallon of distilled water weighs 10 pounds

 

Miscellaneous Trade Measures

Yarn measure (linen)

300 yards = 1 cut
2 cuts = 1 heer
6 heers = 1 hank
4 hanks = 1 spindle

Yarn measure (cotton)

120 yards = 1 skein
7 skeins = 1 hank
18 hanks = 1 spindle

Cloth measure

2.25 inches = 1 nail
4 nails = 1 quarter
4 quarters = 1 yard
5 quarters = 1 ell

Paper measure (writing paper)

24 sheets = 1 quire
20 quires = 1 ream

Paper measure (printing paper)

21.5 quires (516 sheets) = 1 ream
2 reams = 1 bundle
5 bundles = 1 bale

Information on this page was taken from "The New Standard Encyclopaedia and World Atlas", published by Odhams Press (1932).

For an extremely comprehensive dictionary of units, old and new, visit
http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units

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Last edited on 04 January 2007 20:24:42 -0000.