Weights, Measures and Money

Below are some older measures and monetary units found in this book, with their approximate metric or decimal currency equivalents. Common abbreviations are given in brackets.

Weight
1 drachm (drm)		1.8 grams (gm)
1 ounce (oz)	16 drachms	28.4 grams
1 pound (lb)	16 ounces	450 grams
1 stone	14 pounds	6.3 kilograms (kg)
1 hundredweight (cwt)	112 pounds	50 kilograms
Volume
1 fluid drachm (or dram)		3.55 cubic centimetres (cc or ml)
1 fluid ounce	8 fluid drachms	28.4 cubic centimetres
1 gill (or noggin)	5 fluid ounces	143 cubic centimetres
1 pint (pt)	20 fluid ounces	570 cubic centimetres
1 quart	2 pints	1.1 litres
1 gallon	8 pints	4.5 litres
1 peck	2 gallons	9 litres
1 bushel	8 gallons	36 litres
1 firkin	9 gallons	41 litres
1 hogshead (of beer etc)	(originally) 52.5 gallons	239 litres
1 pipe	(typically) 2 hogsheads	479 litres
1 tierce	⅓ of a pipe or 35 gallons	160 litres
1 puncheon	cask of 72–120 gallons	327–545 litres
Length
1 inch (in)		2.5 centimetres (cm)
1 foot (ft)	12 inches	30 centimetres
1 yard (yd)	3 feet	90 centimetres
1 mile	1760 yards	1.6 kilometres
Money
1 penny (d)		0.4 pence (p)
1 shilling (s)	12 pennies	5 pence
1 mark	13s 4d	67 pence
1 pound (£ or l)	20 shillings	1 pound

In terms of its purchasing power, £1 in the year 1750 would now (2009) be worth around £139. In 1850 £1 would now be worth around £83.