Weights and Measures Act

Weights and Measures Act 630

An Act to establish standard Weights and Measures to be kept by the Lord High Exchequer, to be employed throughout the Kingdom to prevent confusion, for the benefit of commerce, known as the “Exchequer’s Standards 630.”

Authors: Lord Adorlin Miller, Count of Eastwood

Sponsors:—

Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the House of Nobles, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

I Provisions

(i) The defined Weights and Measures below shall be kept by the Lord High Exchequer, and shall be known as the “Exchequer’s Standards 630.” 

'''(ii) All imported goods marked under another system shall be marked with the  accurate equivalent Weights and Measures that are defined in this Act. '''

'''(iii) The Lord High Exchequer shall be responsible for creating and distributing to the public the three standard Weights and Measures, the Foot, the Gallon, and the Pound, to ensure the most accurate use of the Weights and Measures. '''

II Measure of Length 

'''(i) The standard Measure of Length shall be the Foot. The Thou, Inch, Foot, Yard, Chain, Furlong, and Mile, and fractions thereof, shall be the Measures of Length.'''

(ii) The Thou shall be defined as one-thousandth of an Inch.

(iii) The Inch shall be defined as one-twelfth of a Foot.

(iv) The Foot shall be defined as the distance between the centres of two gold studs in a straight bronze rod that shall be kept and reproduced by the Lord High Exchequer, with the engraved words “Standard Foot, 630.”

(v) The Yard shall be defined as three Feet.

(vi) The Chain shall be defined as sixty-six Feet.

(vii) The Furlong shall be defined as six hundred sixty Feet.

(viii) The Mile shall be defined as five thousand two hundred eighty Feet.

III Admiralty’s Measures of Length

'''(i) The Admiralty shall use three standard Measures alongside those of the Measures of Length. Those units shall be the Fathom, the Cable, Nautical Mile, and fractions thereof, which shall all be based upon the Foot.'''

'''(ii) The Fathom shall be defined as six and eight hundredths Feet. '''

(iii) The Cable shall be defined as six hundred eight Feet.

'''(iv) The Nautical Mile shall be defined as six thousand eighty Feet. '''

IV Expanse

(i) The Acre, and fractions thereof, shall be used for determining the expanse of plots of land, and any other circumstance where the square distance needs to be known.

(ii) The Acre shall be defined as one Furlong multiplied by one Chain, or four thousand eight hundred forty square Yards, or forty-three thousand five hundred sixty square Feet.

V Apothecary’s Capacity

'''(i) The standard Apothecary’s Capacity shall be the Gallon. The Fluid Ounce, Gill, Pint, Quart, Gallon, Peck, Bushel, and fractions thereof, shall be the Apothecary’s Capacities.'''

(ii) The Fluid Ounce shall be defined as one one-hundred-sixtieth of a Gallon.

(iii) The Gill shall be defined as one thirty-second of a Gallon.

(iv) The Pint shall be defined as one-eighth of a Gallon.

(v) The Quart shall be defined as one-fourth of a Gallon.

(vi) The Gallon shall be defined as the liquid and dry capacity of a bronze container with a flat bottom filled in its entirety that shall be kept and reproduced by the Lord High Exchequer, with the engraved words “Standard Gallon, 630.”

(vii) The dry Peck shall be defined as two Gallons.

(viii) The dry Bushel shall be defined as eight Gallons.

VI Measures of Weight 

'''(i) The standard Measure of Weight shall be the Pound. The Ounce, Pound, Stone, Hundredweight, Ton, and fractions thereof, shall be the Measures of Weight.'''

(ii) The Ounce shall be defined as one-twelfth of a Pound.

(iii) The Pound shall be defined as the weight of a piece of bronze that shall be kept and reproduced by the Lord High Exchequer, with the engraved words “Standard Pound, 630.”

(iv) The Stone shall be defined as fourteen Pounds.

'''(v) The Hundredweight shall be defined as one hundred twelve Pounds. '''

(vi) The Ton shall be defined as two thousand two hundred forty Pounds.

VII Short Title and Commencement

(i) This Act shall be cited as the “Weights and Measures Act.”

(ii) The provisions of this Act shall come into force immediately.