List of Medieval Measures

List of Medieval Measures (under construction)

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Acre	Unit of area, equal to 4840 square yards.
Bag	Obscure unit of volume, equal to 24 gallons.
Barleycorn	Unit of length. Three to the inch. A very old measure.
Barrel (beer)	Unit of volume, equal to 36 gallons, or 4 firkins. Still in use.
Barrel (wine)	Unit of volume, equal to 31.5 gallons.
Bucket	Obscure unit of volume, equal to 4 gallons.
Bushel	Unit of volume, equal to 8 gallons, or 4 pecks.
Butt	Unit of volume, usually for wine or beer. Can be 108 or 126 gallons, depending.
Cable	Unit of length, at sea. Defined as 1 tenth of a nautical mile.
Chain	Unit of length, equal to 22 yards, each chain made up of 100 links. There are 10 chains to the furlong.
Clove	Obscure unit of weight, equal to 7 pounds (Adp.)

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Drachms / Dram (fluid)	Unit of volume, equal to 60 minims. 8 fluid drachms to the fluid ounce. There are two spellings.
Dram (avoirdupois)	Unit of weight. 16 drams to the (Adp) ounce.
Dram (Troy)	Unit of weight. Equal to 60 grains. 8 drams to the (troy) ounce.
Ell	Unit of length. Very old. Most sources seem to quote 45 inches, but some quote 47", 48", 36" .
Fathom	Unit of depth, equal to 6 feet.
Firkin	Unit of volume, especially beer. Equals 9 gallons.
Foot	Unit of length. 12 inches. Multiples called feet, 3 feet to the yard.
Furlong	Unit of length, equal to 220 yards, or 10 chains. There are 8 furlongs to the mile. The name seems to derive from the length of a standard furrow, somehow.
Gallon	Unit of volume. Equal to 8 pints.
Gill	Unit of volume. Normally taken as a quarter of a pint. Some possible variations regionaly.
Grain	The basic unit of weight in the imperial system. There are 5760 grains to the Troy pound, and 7000 to the avoirdupois pound.
Hand	Unit of length in buildings, and height in horses, equal to 4 inches.
Hogshead	Unit of volume. 63 gallons until 1824. Now only 52.5 gallons
Hundredweight	Unit of weight, equal to 8 stones. 20 hundredweight to a ton. This unit is commonly abbreviated to 'cwt'.
Inch	Very basic unit of length. 12 to the foot. Reputed to come from the length of a big toe.

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Kilderkin	Obscure unit of volume, equal to 18 gallons.
Knot	Unit of speed or velocity, equal to 1 nautical mile per hour.
Last	Very obscure unit of volume - equal to 640 gallons.
League	Unit of length. Equal to 3 miles, so a league at sea is different to a league on land.
Link	Unit of length, equal to 7.92 Inches there being 100 links to a chain.
Mile (statute)	Unit of length, equal to 1760 yards, or 8 furlongs.
Mile (nautical)	Unit of length, normally at sea or in the air. Originally, the Admiralty fixed it at 6080 feet.
Minim	Unit of volume. 60 minims to the fluid ounce.
Nail	Obscure unit of length, equal to 2 and a quarter inches.
Noggin	Unit of volume maybe a regional thing. 4 pints same as the gill.
Ounce - avoirdupois	Unit of weigh, equal to 437.5 grains. 16 drams to the ounce, 16 ounces to the pound.
Ounce - fluid	Unit of volume, equal to 8 fluid drachms. 20 fluid ounces = 1 pint.
Ounce - troy	Unit of weight, equal to 480 grains, or 24 scruples. or 20 pennyweights or 8 drams. 12 ounces to the pound. Used for weighing precious metals and as an apothecaries measure.

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Pace	Obscure unit of length. Equal to 2.5 feet.
Palm	Obscure unit of length. Equal to 3 inches.
Peck	Unit of volume, equal to 2 gallons.
Pennyweight	Unit of weight, equal to 24 grains. There are 20 to the Troy ounce.
Perch	Old unit of length - same as rod and pole. 16.5 feet.
Pint	Unit of volume. There are 20 fluid ounces to the pint, and 8 pints to the gallon.
Pole	Old unit of length - same as rod and perch. 16.5 feet.
Pound - avoirdupois	Unit of weight, equal to 7000 grains, or 16 avoirdupois ounces. 14 pounds = 1 stone.
Pound - troy	Unit of weight, equal to 5760 grains, or 12 troy ounces. Used for weighing precious metals, and as an apothecaries measure.
Puncheon	Obscure unit of volume equal to 70 gallons.

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Quart	Unit of volume, equal to 2 pints. 4 quarts = 1 gallon.
Quarter	Unit of weight, equal to 2 stones. 4 quarters = 1 hundredweight. And a Unit of Volume equal to 64 gallons.
Rod	Unit of length; equal to 16.5 feet.
Rood	Unit of area; an area of 1 furlong long by 1 rod wide, or 1210 square yards. There are 4 roods to the acre.
Rope	Obscure unit of length equal to 20 feet.
Sack	Obscure unit of weight, equal to 26 stones.
Scruple	Unit of weight. Equals 20 grains. 3 to the Troy dram.
Scruple (fluid).	Unit of volume. Equals 20 minims.
Seam	Obscure unit of volume, equal to 64 gallons.
Slug	Strange unit of weight - equal to 32.174 pounds (av.)
Span	Obscure unit of length equal to 9 inches.
Stone	Unit of weight, equal to 14 pounds (av.). 8 stones = 1 hundredweight.
Tod	An obscure unit of weight equal to 2 stones. 4 quarters = 1 hundredweight.
Ton	Unit of weight, equals 20 hundredweight, or 2240 pounds.

Yard

Fundamental unit of length. 36 inches (or 3 feet) to the yard, 1760 yards to the statute mile.

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