Weights and Measures Act 1824

JurisdictionUK Non-devolved
Citation1824 c. 74
Anno Regni GEORGII IV. Britanniarum Regis,Quinto. An Act for ascertaining and establishing Uniformity of Weights and Measures.

(5 Geo. 4) C A P. LXXIV.

[17th June 1824]

'WHEREAS it is necessary for the Security of Commerce, and for the Good of the Community, that Weights and Measures should be just and uniform: And Whereas notwithstanding it is provided by the Great Charter, that there shall be but one Measure and one Weight throughout the Realm, and by the Treaty of Union betweenEngland and Scotland , that the same Weights and Measures should be used throughout Great Britain as were then established in England , yet different Weights and Measures, some larger, and some less, are still in use in various Places throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , and the true Measure of the present Standards is not verily known, which is the Cause of great Confusion and of manifest Frauds: For the Remedy and Prevention of these Evils for the future, and to the End that certain Standards of Weights and Measures should be established throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ;' Be it therefore enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That from and after the First DayofMay One thousand eight hundred and twenty five, the Straight Line or Distance between the Centres of the Two Points in the Gold Studs in the Straight Brass Rod, now in the Custody of the Clerk of the House of Commons, whereon the Words and Figures ‘Standard Yard, 1760,’ are engraved, shall be and the same is hereby declared to be the original and genuine Standard of that Measure of Length or lineal Extension called a Yard; and that the same Straight Line or Distance between the Centres of the said Two Points in the said Gold Studs in the said Brass Rod, the Brass being at the Temperature of Sixty two Degrees by Fahrenheit's Thermometer, shall be and is hereby denominated the ‘Imperial Standard Yard,’ and shall be and is hereby declared to be the Unit or only Standard Measure of Extension, wherefrom or whereby all other Measures of Extension whatsoever, whether the same be lineal, superficial or solid, shall be derived, computed and ascertained; and that all Measures of Length shall be taken in Parts or Multiples, or certain Proportionsof the said Standard Yard; and that One third Part of the said Standard Yard shall be a Foot, and the Twelfth Part of such Foot shall be an Inch; and that the Pole or Perchin Length shall contain Five such Yards and a Half, the FurlongTwo hundred and twenty such Yards, and the MileOne thousand seven hundred and sixty such Yards.

S-II Superficial Measures computed from said Yard.

II Superficial Measures computed from said Yard.

II. And be it further enacted, That all Superficial Measure shall be computed and ascertained by the said Standard Yard, or by certain Parts, Multiples or Proportions thereof; and that the Roodof Land shall contain One thousand two hundred and ten Square Yards, according to the said Standard Yard; and that the Acreof Land shall contain Four thousand eight hundred and forty such Square Yards, being One hundred and sixty Square Perches, Poles or Rods.

S-III

'III. And Whereas it is expedient that the said Standard Yard, if lost, destroyed, defaced or otherwise injured, should be restored of the same Length, by Reference to some invariable natural Standard: And Whereas it has been ascertained by the Commissioners appointed by His Majesty to inquire into the Subject of Weights and Measures, that the said Yard hereby declared to be the Imperial Standard Yard, when compared with a Pendulum vibrating Seconds of Mean Time in the Latitude ofLondon , in a Vacuum at the Level of the Sea, is in the Proportion of Thirty six Inches to Thirty nine Inches, and One thousand three hundred and ninety three ten thousandth Parts of an Inch;' Be it therefore enacted and declared, That if at any Time hereafter the said Imperial Standard Yardshall be lost, or shall be in any Manner destroyed, defaced or otherwise injured, it shall and may be restored by making, under the Direction of the Lord High Treasurer, or the Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury of the United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Ireland , or any Three of them, for the Time being, a new Standard Yard, bearing the same Proportion to such Pendulum as aforesaid, as the said Imperial Standard Yard bears to such Pendulum.

S-IV Standard Pound defined as the Measure of Weight.

IV Standard Pound defined as the Measure of Weight.

IV. And be it further enacted, That from and after the First Day ofMay One thousand eight hundred and twenty five, the Standard Brass Weight of One Pound Troy Weight, made in the Year One thousand seven hundred and fifty eight, now in the Custody of the Clerk of the House of Commons, shall be and the same is hereby declared to be the original and genuine Standard Measure of Weight, and that such Brass Weight shall be and is hereby denominated the Imperial Standard Troy Pound, and shall be and the same is hereby declared to be the Unit or only Standard Measure of Weight, from which all other Weightsshall be derived, computed and ascertained; and that One twelfth Part of the said TroyPound shall be an Ounce; and that One twentieth Part of such Ounce shall be a Pennyweight; and that Onetwenty fourth Part of such Pennyweight shall be a Grain; so that Five thousand seven hundred and sixty such Grains shall be a Troy Pound, and that Seven thousand such Grains shall be and they are hereby declared to be a Pound Avoirdupois, and that One Sixteenth Part of the said PoundAvoirdupois shall be an Ounce Avoirdupois, and that One sixteenth Part of such Ounce shall be a Dram.

S-V

'V. And Whereas it is expedient, that the said Standard Troy Pound, if lost, destroyed, defaced or otherwise injured, should be restored of the same Weight, by Reference to some invariable natural Standard: And Whereas it has been ascertained, by the Commissioners appointed by His Majesty to inquire into the Subjects of Weights and Measures, that a Cubic Inch of distilled Water, weighed in Air by Brass Weights, at the Temperature of Sixty two degrees ofFahrenheit's Thermometer, the Barometer being at Thirty Inches, is equal to Two hundred and fifty two Grains and Four hundred and fifty eight thousandth Parts of a Grain, of which, as aforesaid, the Imperial Standard Troy Pound contains Fivethousand seven hundred and sixty;' Be it therefore enacted, That if at any Time hereafter the said Imperial Standard Troy Pound shall be lost, or shall be in any Manner destroyed, defaced or otherwise injured, it shall and may be restored by making, under the Directions of the Lord High Treasurer or the Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury of the United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Ireland , or any Three of them for the Time being, a new Standard Troy Pound, bearing the same Proportion to the Weight of a Cubic Inch of distilled Water, as the said Standard Pound hereby established bears to such Cubic Inch of Water.

S-VI Standard Gallon, containing 10 Pounds Avoirdupois of Water, to be the Measure of Capacity.

VI Standard Gallon, containing 10 Pounds Avoirdupois of Water, to be the Measure of Capacity.

VI. And be it further enacted, That from and after the First Day ofMay One thousand eight hundred and twenty five, the Standard Measure of Capacity, as well for Liquids as for dry Goods not measured by Heaped Measure, shall be the Gallon, containing Ten Pounds Avoirdupois Weight of distilled Water weighed in Air, at the Temperature of Sixty two Degrees of Fahrenheit's Thermometer, the Barometer being at Thirty Inches; and that a Measure shall be forthwith made of Brass, of such Contents as aforesaid, under the Directions of the Lord High Treasurer or the Commissioners of His Majesty'sTreasury of the United Kingdom, or any Three or more of them for the Time being; and such Brass Measure shall be and is hereby declared to be the Imperial Standard Gallon, and shall be and is hereby declared to be the Unit and only Standard Measure of Capacity, from which all other Measures of Capacity to be used, as well for Wine, Beer, Ale, Spirits and all Sorts of Liquids, as for dry Goods not measured by Heap Measure, shall be derived, computed and ascertained; and that all Measures shall be taken in Partsor Multiples, or certain Proportions of the said Imperial Standard Gallon; and that the Quartshall be the Fourth Part of such Standard Gallon, and the Pint shall be One eighth of such StandardGallon, and that Two such Gallons shall be a Peck, and Eight such Gallons shall be a Bushel, and Eight such Bushels a Quarterof Corn or other dry Goods, not measured by heaped Measure.

S-VII Standard for Heaped Measure.

VII Standard for Heaped Measure.

VII. And be it further enacted, That the Standard Measure of Capacity for Coals, Culm, Lime, Fish, Potatoes or Fruit, and all other Goods and Things commonly sold by Heaped Measure, shall be the aforesaid Bushel, containing Eighty Pounds Avoirdupois of Water as aforesaid, the same being made round with a plain and even Bottom, and being Nineteen Inches and a Half from Outside to Outside of such Standard Measure as aforesaid.

S-VIII How the Bushel shall be heaped.

VIII How the Bushel shall be heaped.

VIII. And be it further enacted, That in making use of such Bushel, all Coals and other Goods and Things commonly sold by Heaped Measure, shall be duly heaped up in such Bushel, in the Form of a Cone, such Cone to...

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