1864: 27 & 28 Victoria, c.117: An Act to render permissive the Use of the Metric System of Weights and Measures.
[29th July 1864.]
WHEREAS, for the Promotion and Extension of our internal as well as our foreign Trade, and for the Advancement of Science, it is expedient to legalize the Use of the Metric System of Weights and Measures: Be it enacted by the Queen’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, as follows:
[Short Title.]
1. This Act may be cited as the “Metric Weights and Measures Act, 1864.”
[Contracts may be made in Terms of the Metric System.]
2. Notwithstanding anything contained in any Act of Parliament to the contrary, no Contract or Dealing shall be deemed to be invalid or open to Objection on the Ground that the Weights or Measures expressed or referred to in such Contract or Dealing are Weights or Measures of the Metric System, or on the Ground that Decimal Subdivisions of legal Weights and Measures, whether Metric or otherwise, are used in such Contract or Dealing.
[Equivalents of Metric Weights and Measures in Terms of Weights and Measures.]
3. The Table in the Schedule hereto annexed shall be deemed to set forth, in Terms of the Weights and Measures in force in this Country, the Equivalents of the Weights and Measures therein expressed in Terms of the Metric System, and such Table may be lawfully used for computing, determining, and expressing, in Weights and Measures, Weights and Measures of the Metric System.
SCHEDULE to which this Act refers.
Schedule of Tables of the Values of the principal Denominations of Measures and Weights on the Metric System expressed by means of the legalized Denominations of Measures and Weights in Great Britain and Ireland.
MEASURES OF LENGTH.
| Metric Denominations and Values. | Equivalents in British Denominations. | |||||
| Metres. | Miles. | Yards. | Feet. | Inches. Decimals. | ||
| Myriametre | 10,000 | 6 | 376 | 0 | 11.9 | |
| or | 10,936 | 0 | 11.9 | |||
| Kilometre | 1000 | 1093 | 1 | 10.79 | ||
| Hectometre | 100 | 109 | 1 | 1.079 | ||
| Dekametre | 10 | 10 | 2 | 9.7079 | ||
| Metre | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.3708 | ||
| Decimetre | 1/10 | 3.9371 | ||||
| Centimetre | 1/100 | 0.3937 | ||||
| Millimetre | 1/1000 | 0.0394 | ||||
MEASURES OF SURFACE.
| Metric Denominations and Values. | Equivalents in British Denominations. | ||
| Square Metres. | Acres. | Square Yards.Decimals. | |
| Hectare, i.e. 100 Ares | 10,000 | 2 | 22.80.3326 |
| or | 11,960.3326 | ||
| Dekare, i.e. 10 Ares | 1,000 | 1196.0333 | |
| Are | 100 | 119.6033 | |
| Centiare, i.e. 1/100 Are | 1 | 1.1960 | |
MEASURES OF CAPACITY.
| Metric Denominations and Values. | Equivalents in British Denominations. | |||||||
| Cubic Metres. | Quarters. | Bushels. | Pecks. | Gallons. | Quarts. | Pints. Decimals. | ||
| Kilolitres i.e. 1000 Litres | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.77 | ||
| Hectolitre, i.e. 100 Litres | 1/10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.077 | ||
| Dekalitre, i.e. 10 Litres | 1/100 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6077 | |||
| Litre | 1/1000 | 1.76077 | ||||||
| Decilitre, i.e. 1/10 Litre | 1/10000 | 0.176077 | ||||||
| Centilitre, i.e. 1/100 Litre | 1/100000 | 0.0176077 | ||||||
WEIGHTS.
| Metric Denominations and Values. | Equivalents in British Denominations. | |||||||
| Grams. | Cwts. | Stones. | Pounds. | Ounces. | Drams. Decimals. | |||
| Millier | 1,000,000 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 15.04 | ||
| Quintal | 100,000 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 6.304 | ||
| Myriagram | 10,000 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 11.8304 | |||
| Kilogram | 1,000 | 2 | 3 | 4.3830 | ||||
| Kilogram | 1,000 | (or 15432 3487 grains) | ||||||
| Hectogram | 100 | 8.4383 | ||||||
| Dekagram | 10 | 5.6438 | ||||||
| Gram | 1 | 0.56438 | ||||||
| Decigram | 1/10 | 0.056438 | ||||||
| Centigram | 1/100 | 0.0056438 | ||||||
| Milligram | 1/1000 | 0.00056438 | ||||||