WESTERN WORLD HISTORICAL UNITS OF LAND MEASURE

12 Inches
3 Feet
16 Feet
4 Rods ~ 66 Feet
10 Chains
8 Furlongs

= 1 Foot
= 1 Yard
= 1 Rod, Pole or Perch
= 100 Links = 1 Chain
= 1 Furlong
= 80 Chains = 1 Mile

Old areas are frequently shown headed A.R.P.
Meaning; Acres, Roods and Perches

1 Perch (area)
40 Perches
4 Roods

= 1 Square Rod
= 1 Rood
= 1 Acre

1 Chain x 10 Chains = 1 Acre = 43,560 Square Feet

Therefore an acre contains 160 square rods or 10 square chains.

An acre (Old English Aecer, Field) was the land a yoke of oxen could be expected to plow in a day, 10 chains long by 1 chain wide. The long side was a furrow long or a Furlong. A relic of this is the 40 Rod, 1 Furlong, roll of farm fence.

The term mile is from Latin ~ Millia or thousand, referring to a thousand paces, passus. The Roman pace was measured from where a soldier^s foot left the ground to where the same foot hit the ground again.

Original township lots, called a farm, were usually 20 Chains, 1320 Feet, by 50 Chains, 3300 feet, giving 100 Acres. Some farms were 20 Chains by 100 Chains, 6600 Feet, giving 200 Acres.

In these old days illiteracy was common. Rather than read a deed the owner would walk his boy around the farm with a stick in hand. When they came to a corner marked by a stone, tree, mound or post, the owner would call out ^this is our corner^, whip the boy and say ^and don^t you forget it.^ This went on around the whole property. The boy would often come back in tears but would remember the limits of the farm for life. This was called Beating the Bounds.

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