The fotmal (,
"
foot
The foot (: feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is an organ at the terminal part of the leg made up o ...
-measure"; ), also known as the foot ('), formel, fontinel, and fotmell, was an
English unit
English units were the units of measurement used in England up to 1826 (when they were replaced by Imperial units), which evolved as a combination of the Anglo-Saxon and Roman systems of units. Various standards have applied to English units at ...
of variable
weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is a quantity associated with the gravitational force exerted on the object by other objects in its environment, although there is some variation and debate as to the exact definition.
Some sta ...
particularly used in measuring production, sales, and
duties
A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; , past participle of ; , whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may arise from a system of ethics or morality, e ...
of
lead
Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
.
__NOTOC__
Under the
Assize of Weights and Measures
Weights and Measures Acts are acts of the British Parliament determining the regulation of weights and measures. It also refers to similar royal and parliamentary acts of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and the medieval Welsh states. ...
, it was equal to 70
Merchants' pound
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in both the British imperial and United States customary systems of measurement. Various definitions have been used; the most common today is the international avoirdupois pound, which is legal ...
s and made up of a
load of
lead
Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
.
[. & & ] Elsewhere, it was made of 70
avoirdupois pound
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in both the British imperial and United States customary systems of measurement. Various definitions have been used; the most common today is the international avoirdupois pound, which is lega ...
s and made up load. According to Kiernan, in 16th-century
Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
, the fotmal was divided into "boles" and made up of a
fother, meaning it was considered to be 84
avoirdupois pound
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in both the British imperial and United States customary systems of measurement. Various definitions have been used; the most common today is the international avoirdupois pound, which is lega ...
s.
It continued to be used until the 16th century.
References
Citations
Bibliography
* {{Citation, last=Gill, first=M.C., author2-last=Harvey, author2-first=W.S., display-authors=1, ref={{harvid, Gill, 1998, date=1998, contribution=Weights and Measures Used in the Lead Industry, title=British Mining, volume=61, pages=129–140, publisher=Northern Mine Research Society, location=Sheffield, contribution-url=https://www.nmrs.org.uk/assets/pdf/BM61/BM61-129-140-weights.pdf
Obsolete units of measurement
Units of mass