The fotmal ( ang, fotmael,
"
foot-measure"; la, fotmal), also known as the foot ('), formel, fontinel, and fotmell, was an
English unit
English units are 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 d ...
of variable
weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force acting on the object due to gravity.
Some standard textbooks define weight as a vector quantity, the gravitational force acting on the object. Others define weight as a scalar qua ...
particularly used in measuring production, sales, and
duties
A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; fro, deu, did, past participle of ''devoir''; la, debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may ...
of
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
.
__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. T ...
, it was equal to 70
Merchants' pounds and made up of a
load of
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
.
[. & & ] Elsewhere, it was made of 70
avoirdupois pound
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in 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 legally defin ...
s and made up load. According to Kiernan, in 16th-century
Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
, 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 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 legally defin ...
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=No. 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