Before the decimalisation of almost everything, Great Britain worked in a variety of weights and measures. The currency was also very different from elsewhere in the world. The following tables are intended to try to explain some of the weights and measures.
Imperial
Metric
1 inch
= 1/12 foot
2.54 centimetres (cm)
12 inches
= 1 foot
30.5 centimetres
3 feet
= 1 yard
91.5 centimetres
36 inches
= 1 yard
91.5 centimetres
5½ yards or 16½ feet
= 1 rod, perch or pole
5.0292 metres
22 yards or 100 links
= 1 chain
20.12 metres
10 chains or 220 yards
= 1 furlong
0.2 kilometres (km)
1760 yards
= 1 mile
1.6 kilometres
80 chains
= 1 mile
1.6 kilometres
8 furlongs
= 1 mile
1.6 kilometres
3 miles
= 1 league
4.8 kilometres
16 oz [ounces]
= 1 lb. [pound]
.45 kilograms
14 lbs.
= 1 stone
6.36 kilograms
2 stones
= 1 quarter
12.72 kilograms
4 quarters
= 1 cwt [hundredweight]
45 kilograms
20 cwt.
= 1 ton
900 kilograms
4 gills
= 1 pint
1.8 ml
2 pints
= 1 quart
0.9 litre
4 quarts
= 1 gallon
3.8 litres
52½ gallons
= 1 hogshead
199.5 litres
4 gills
= 1 pint
1.8 ml
2 pints
= 1 quart
0.9 litre
4 quarts
= 1 gallon
3.8 litres
2 gallons
= 1 peck
9.1 litres
4 pecks
= 1 bushel
36.4 litres
Last modified 15 June 2006