Imperial Measurement Chart

Many of these measurements were taken from:
Nottingham.ac.uk
with others added.
This is a good conversion site.

Distance/length

  • 3 barleycorns =1 inch (in or ")
  • 4 inches = 1 hand
  • 12 inches = 1 foot (ft or ')
  • 3 feet =1 yard (yd)
  • 5½ yards =1 perch, pole or rod
  • 40 poles =1 furlong
  • 8 furlongs =1 mile
  • 3 miles = 1 league
  • 1 link = 7.92 inches
  • 25 links = 1 rod (pole or perch) or 16½ ft
  • 100 links (4 poles, 22 yards or 66 feet) = 1 chain
  • 10 chains =1 furlong
  • 80 chains =1 mile
  • 1 link = 7.92 inches
  • 25 links = 1 rod (pole or perch) or 16½ ft
  • 100 links = 1 chain or 66 feet/22 yards
  • 10 chains = 1 furlong ('furrowlong') or 220yds
  • 80 chains = 1 mile or 5,280ft/1,760yds
  • 10 square chains = 1 acre

    • Area

  • acre The area that could be ploughed by a team of eight oxen in one day
  • 1 hide The area deemed to be able to support a typical peasant family, ploughed in a year by a team of eight oxen. Nominally 120 acres, although the actual area varied. Also called (among other names) a carucate or a ploughland
  • A hide was made up of 8 oxgangs or bovates, or 4 virgates
  • 144 square inches= 1 square foot
  • 9 square feet =1 square yard
  • 1 perch = 1rod x 1rod (5½ yds x 5½ yds)
  • 30¼ square yards = 1 perch
  • 40 perches =1 rood
  • 4 roods =1 acre
  • 640 acres =1 square mile
  • 40 x 4 perches = 1 acre
  • 55 x 88 yds = 1 acre = 4840 sq yds
  • 5.5yds x 5.5yds = 1 perch (30¼ sq yds)

    • Volumes or Capacity

    Liquids up to 1 pint

  • 20 minims =1 fluid scruple
  • 3 fluid scruples = 1 fluid drachm
  • 8 fluid drachms = 1 fluid ounce (fl. oz.)
  • 5 fluid ounces =1 gill
  • 4 gills (20 fluid ounces)= 1 pint

    • Dry goods and liquids up to 1 gallon

  • 4 gills = 1 pint
  • 2 pints = 1 quart
  • 4 quarts = 1 gallon

    • Dry Goods measurements

    Standard measurements:

  • 2 gallons = 1 peck
  • 4 pecks = 1 bushel
  • 2 bushels = 1 strike or raser
  • 8 bushels = 1 quarter
  • 5 quarters (40 bushels) = 1 load or wey
  • 2 weys (80 bushels) = 1 last

    • Some commodities, such as coal, were sold as 'heaped' measures. They used the following additional measurements:

  • 3 bushels = 1 sack or bag
  • 12 sacks (36 bushels) = 1 chaldron

    • Ale, Beer and Porter measurements (1688-1803)

  • 8½ gallons =1 firkin
  • 2 firkins =1 kilderkin
  • 2 kilderkins = 1 barrel
  • 1½ barrels (51 gallons) = 1 hogshead
  • 2 barrels (68 gallons) =1 puncheon
  • 2 hogsheads (102 gallons) = 1 butt
  • 3 puncheons (204 gallons) = 1 tun
  • 2 buts = 1 tun

    • Ale, Beer and Porter measurements (after 1803)

  • 4½ gallons= 1 pin
  • 2 pins =1 firkin
  • 2 firkins = 1 kilderkin
  • 2 kilderkins = 1 barrel
  • 1½ barrels (54 gallons) = 1 hogshead
  • 2 barrels (72 gallons) =1 puncheon
  • 2 hogsheads (108 gallons) = 1 butt
  • 3 puncheons (216 gallons) = 1 tun

    • Wine, Spirits, Cider, Vinegar, Oil and Honey measurements

  • 18 gallons =1 rundlet
  • 31½ gallons = 1 barrel
  • 42 gallons =1 tierce
  • 2 barrels (63 gallons) =1 hogshead
  • 2 tierces (84 gallons) =1 puncheon
  • 2 hogsheads or 3 tierces (126 gallons) =1 pipe or butt
  • 2 pipes or 3 puncheons (252 gallons) = 1 tun

    • Measurements after 1824:

  • 15 Imperial gallons = 1 rundlet
  • 26¼ Imperial gallons = 1 barrel
  • 35 Imperial gallons = 1 tierce
  • 3½ rundlets or 2 barrels (52½ gallons) =1 hogshead
  • 2 tierces (70 gallons)= 1 puncheon
  • 2 hogsheads or 3 tierces (105 gallons) =1 pipe or butt
  • 2 pipes (210 gallons) = 1 tun

    • However, note that different measurements were used for imported wine and spirits from other parts of the world. Just a few are given below:

  • 1 pipe of Madeira = 92 gallons
  • 1 pipe of Sherry = 108 gallons
  • 1 pipe of Port= 115 gallons
  • 1 hogshead of Hock, Rhine and Moselle = 30 gallons
  • 1 hogshead of Claret = 46 gallons
  • 1 hogshead of Brandy = 57 gallons

    • Weights

  • 16 drams = 1 ounce
  • 16 ounces = 1 pound
  • 7 pounds = 1 clove
  • 14 pounds = 1 stone
  • 28 pounds = 1 tod
  • 112 pounds = 1 hundredweight
  • 364 pounds = 1 sack
  • 2240 pounds = 1 ton
  • 2 stones = 1 quarter
  • 4 quarters = 1 hundredweight
  • 20 hundredweight = 1 ton

    • Glossary

  • acre Imperial unit of area, containing 4 roods
  • apothecaries' weight Imperial system of measurement of weight in which 12 ounces made up a pound
  • avoirdupois Imperial system of measurement of weight in which 16 ounces made up a pound
  • barrel Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing various quantities depending on the type of commodity
  • bob Colloquial term for a shilling coin
  • bovate Alternative word for oxgang - 1/8 of a hide
  • bushel Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 4 pecks
  • butt Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure wine, containing 7 rundlets or 2 hogsheads
  • chain Imperial unit of distance, containing 22 yards
  • chaldron Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 12 sacks. Also spelt 'chauldron'
  • crown Currency measure, worth 5 shillings
  • decimal System of measurement based on powers of 10
  • decimalisation Process of transferring from old British money (pounds, shillings and pence) to new decimal currency
  • dram/drachm The smallest unit in the Avoirdupois system of measurement of weight (16 drams to the ounce), and also a unit in the Apothecaries' weight (8 drams to the ounce)
  • farthing Smallest currency measure. 4 farthings made 1 penny
  • firkin Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing various quantities depending on the type of commodity
  • florin Colloquial term for a two shilling coin
  • fluid drachm Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing 60 minims
  • fluid ounce Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing 8 fluid drachms
  • foot Imperial unit of distance, containing 12 inches
  • furlong Imperial unit of distance, containing 10 chains (40 poles)
  • gallon Imperial unit of volume or capacity, containing 4 quarts. Various different gallon measurements were replaced in 1824 by the standard Imperial gallon
  • gill Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing 5 fluid ounces
  • grain The smallest unit of Troy weight (24 grains to the pennyweight) and Apothecaries' weight (20 grains to the scruple)
  • groat Coin worth 4 pence
  • guinea Currency measure, worth 1 pound and 1 shilling
  • hide Imprecise unit of area, supposed to be the area which could be ploughed in a year by a team of eight oxen, enough to support a peasant family
  • hogshead Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing various quantities depending on the type of commodity
  • hundredweight Imperial unit of weight, containing 4 quarters.
  • Imperial Traditional system of measurement used in Great Britain and its colonies
  • Imperial gallon Standard unit of volume or capacity introduced in 1824, containing 4 quarts
  • inch Imperial unit of distance (12 inches to the foot)
  • kilderkin Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure beer. 2 kilderkins made 1 barrel
  • league Imperial unit of distance, containing 3 miles
  • load Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing four quarters
  • mark Currency measure, worth 13 shillings and 4 pence
  • metric System of measurement originally developed by the French in the late eighteenth century, based on rational division of weights and measurements into tens, hundreds and thousands
  • mile Imperial unit of distance, containing 8 furlongs, and further subdivided into chains, perches, yards, feet and inches
  • minim The smallest unit of measurement in Imperial volume or capacity. 60 minims made 1 fluid drachm
  • ounce Imperial unit of weight, containing 16 drams (Avoirdupois), 20 pennyweights (Troy), or 8 drams (Apothecaries' weight)
  • oxgang Alternative word for bovate - 1/8 of a hide
  • peck Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 2 gallons
  • pence Plural terms for penny, meaning the same as 'pennies'
  • penny Currency measure, divided into halfpennies and farthings. 12 pennies made 1 shilling
  • pennyweight Imperial unit of Troy weight, containing 24 grains
  • perch Imperial unit of area (40 perches to 1 rood)
  • Also an Imperial unit of distance, containing 5½ yards (preferred term is pole)
  • pin Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure beer, containing 4½ gallons
  • pint Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid or dry goods. In liquid measurements, containing 4 gills
  • pole Imperial unit of distance, containing 5½ yards
  • pound Imperial unit of weight (lb), containing 16 ounces (Avoirdupois), or 12 ounces (Troy and Apothecaries' weight)
  • Also the standard currency measure (£), divided into shillings and pence
  • puncheon Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing various quantities depending on the type of commodity
  • quart Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid or dry goods, containing 2 pints
  • quarter Imperial unit of weight, containing 2 stones
  • Also, Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 8 bushels
  • rod Imperial unit of distance, containing 5½ yard (preferred term is pole)
  • rood Imperial unit of area, containing 40 perches
  • rundlet Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure wine, containing 15 gallons
  • sack Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 15 gallons
  • scruple Imperial unit of Apothecaries' weight, containing 20 grains
  • shilling Currency measure, divided into 12 pence
  • sovereign Currency measure, worth 1 pound
  • stone Imperial unit of weight, containing 14 pounds.
  • tanner Colloquial term for a sixpence coin
  • tierce Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure wine. 2 tierces made 1 firkin
  • ton The biggest unit of measurement in Imperial weight, containing 20 hundredwright.
  • troy Imperial system of measurement of weight in which 12 ounces made up a pound
  • tun The biggest unit of measurement in Imperial volume or capacity, used to measure liquid. Divided into firkins, puncheons or butts depending on the type of commodity
  • Winchester Measure Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, abolished and replaced in 1824 by the Imperial gallon
  • yard Imperial unit of distance, containing 3 feet