Early Modern Measurements

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Measurement before the enlightenment and the age of standardization varied widely. While some terms had wide adoption, others were highly regional and idiosyncratic. The following equivalencies are meant to aid in estimations.


Wet Amounts

  • tun: 950-960 litres, or approximately 252 gallons during the early modern period. 
  • pipe or butt: 1/2 of a tun, 475-480 liters, or 126 gallons
  • puncheon: 1/3 of a tun, 316-320 litres, or 84 gallons
  • hogshead: 1/4 of a tun, 237-242 litres, or 63 gallons
  • tierce: 1/6 of a tun, 158-160 litres, or 42 gallons
  • barrel: 1/8 of a tun, 118-120 litres, or 31 1/2 gallons
  • rundlet: 1/14 of a tun, 68-69 litres, or 18 gallons
  • gallon:
  • quart:
  • pint: 1/8 of a gallon. Pints varied by region from about half a litre to over one litre. The term comes from the Latin term pincta, for the painted marks on the side of a container to show capacity.
    • The modern imperial pint is approximately 568 mL, while the US pint is 1/8 of a gallon
  • cup:
  • ounce, fluid ounce, fl oz (℥, fl ℥, f℥, ƒ ℥): The fluid ounce was originally the volume occupied by one ounce (in weight) of some substance.
    • Comparison to modern amounts: In Britain today, an imperial fluid ounce is 1/20 of an imperial pint; a US fluid ounce is 1/16 of a US fluid pint (about 4% bigger than the imperial fluid ounce). The Imperial measurements were codified in 1824.
  • spoon (or spoonful): a tablespoon is, in modern measurements, about 1/2 an ounce. The term 'table spoon' comes from the transition (after 1700) from the practice of bringing a personal spoon to the table to the practice of having a place setting, or a 'table-spoon, table-fork, and table-knife'.
  • dram or drachm: 1/8 of a fluid ounce, = 3 scruples

Comparisons:

1 ton = 2 butts, 3 puncheons, 4 hogsheads, 6 tierces, 8 barrels, or 14 rundlets

1 ounce = 2 table spoons, 8 drams

Dry Amounts, Money, and Weight

  • Money is often used as a standardized size and weight reference, e.g. "as much of these powders as will lay on a groat".
    • pound (abbreviated l or lb): the monetary unit was originally set as a pound (weight) of silver.
    • shilling (abbreviated s): 1/20 of a pound, or 12 pennies (12 d = 1 s).
    • groat: standardized as (theoretically) 1/8 of an ounce of silver, although there is little relation to its actual weight, given the debasement of coinage. The groat ceased circulation in 1662.
    • penny (abbreviated d): 1/12 of a shilling.
    • pennyworth: the amount of an ingredient that can be bought for a penny.
  • pounds (Troy): 12 ounces
  • pounds (Apothecaries')
  • pounds (Avoirdupois)
  • pennyweight: a Troy unit containing 24 grains
  • ounce (abbreviated oz; apothecary symbol: ℥): the apothecaries' ounce is equivalent in weight to the troy ounce
    • in modern terms, 31.1g, not the ~28.3g of the avoirdupois ounce.
  • scruple (℈): an Apothecaries' weight measurement, 20 grains
  • grain: the smallest unit of Troy weight (24 grains to the pennyweight) and Apothecaries' weight (20 grains to a scruple)
  • manipulus: a handful or bunch
  • pugillus: a small handful
  • semis: half of any quantity
  • bushel:

Distance

  • acre:
  • rood:
  • furlong:
  • foot:
  • hide: the area that could be plowed in a year by a team of eight oxen, supposedly sufficient to support a peasant family
  • bovate or oxgang: 1/8 of a hide