This boke
sheweth the maner
of measurynge of all ma­
ner of lande, as well of
woodlande, as of lande in
the felde, and comptynge
the true nombre of
acres of the­
same.

Newlye inuented and
compyled by Syr Ry­
charde Benese Cha­
non of Marton
Abbay besyde 
London.

¶ Prynted in Southwarke in Saynt
Thomas hospitall, by me Iames
Nicolson.




 
¶ The preface of Thomas paynell
Chanon of Marton to the
gentle reader.
 




And these thynges also that lye 
playne, depe, rounde, cornerwyse, in lengthe, or in bredth, 
belonge vnto Geometry: the whych conteyneth thre diuerse 
kyndes of measurynge. 

The fyrst is named Altimetria, that is, to measure a 
quantite after hys length only.

The seconde is named Planimetria, that is, to measure 
a quantite after hys length and bredth.

The thyrde is called Stereometria, that is, to mea­
sure a quantyte after hys lengthe, bredthe, and depe­
nesse.










¶ Of diuearse quantityes of mesures, 
and of diuerse names of thesame.


But fyrste for the playner and redyer know­
ledge of these rules folowynge, ye shall diligently 
note, that ther be diuerse quantityes, diuerselye 
named in measurynge of lande, that is to saye: 
an ynche, a foote, a perch, a dayworke, a quarter 
of an acre, (moost communelye called a roode,) 
an halfe acre, and an acre.

¶ To make a true ynche.

The lengthe of an ynche after some mens 



opinion, is made by the length of thry barlye 
cornes, the which rule is not at all tymes true. 
For the lengthe of a barlye corne of some tyl­
lage is lenger, and of some tyllage is shorter, af­
ter the fatnes and and leanesse of the lande, where it 
was sowen vpon. Therfore in makynge of an 
ynche after thys rule, it shulde be sometymes 
lenger, and sometymes shorter, after the len­
gthe and shortenes of the barlye cornes: the 
whiche shulde make greate difference in mea­
surynge. Therfore ye shall take the lengthe of 
an ynche moost trulye vpon an artificers rule, 
made of two foote in length, after the standarde 
of London, the which rule doth conteyne. xxiiii
ynches in lengthe.

¶ To make a true foote in length and 
in square.

A foote conteyneth. xii. ynches in lengthe, a 
foote square in measurynge of lande or ony o­
ther thynge by the lengthe and bredth onely con­
teyneth in it. c.xliiii, ynches. di. A foote square con­
teyneth in it. lxxii. ynches. A quarter of a foote 
square conteyneth in it. xxxvi. ynches. But in 
measurynge of tymber or stone, or ony other 
thynge by the length bredth and depth, a foote 
square conteyneth in it. xviiC.xxviii. ynches.



¶ Of two maner of perches, the wood
lande perche, and the fyldeland perche.

Because woodlande and fyldelande be not 
measured with perches of lyke & equale length, 
therfore ye shall vnderstande, that lande in the 
fylde  is measured most communely with a perch 
or a pole of .xvi. foote & di. in length. But in some 
places the lande perche is lenger, and in some 
places shorter, after the costume there vsed. The 
woodlande perche  is communely. xviii. foote 
in length. But in some places it is longer, after 
the costume there vsed. The woodlande perche 
of .xviii. foote in length square conteyneth in it
CCC.xxiiii. foote, halfe of thys perch square con­
teyneth in it. C.lxii. foote, a quarter of this perch
square conteyneth in it. lxxxi. foote.

¶ Of an acre bothe of woodlande, and 
of fyldelande.

An acre bothe of woodlande, and also of fylde 
lande is alwayes. xl. perches in length, and iiii. 
perches in bredth, although an acre of wood­
lande be more in quantite, than is an acre of 
fyldelande. Because the perche of wood­
lande is longer than is the perche of fylde­
lande, as it is before expressed. An acre 



can not lyghtlye be reduced and brought in to a 
true square, excepte ye shulde adde to some part 
aboue the true quantyte of an acre, or els 
take awaye some parte from the true quantyte 
of an acre. Neuerthelesse, after myne accomp­
tynge (as nyghe as I can serche, the truthe in 
thys behalfe) an acre of woodlande square, is 
on euerye syde, xii. perches and di. ii. fote. viii.
ynches, and a quarter of an ynche. An acre con­
teyneth in it. viiixx perches. An halfe acre con­
teyneth in it. iiiixx. perches. The quarter of an 
acre  (other wayes called a roode) conteyneth
in it. xl. perches. An acre conteyneth in it. xl.
dayworkes. A dayworke conteyneth in it. iiii. 
perches. For lykewyse as a marke of mony con­
teyneth in it. viiixx. pence, so dothe an acre con­
teyne in it. viiixx. perches. And lykewyse as a 
marke of money doth conteyne in it. xl. grotes, 
so doth an acre conteyne in it. xl. dayeworkes. 
And as a grote dothe conteyne in it. iiii. pence, so 
doth a dayeworke conteyne in it. iiii. perches.




¶ Of two maner of instrumentes to 
measure lande wyth all.

Meters of lande for the moost parte do vse 
to mete lande wyth a pole made of woode, con­
teynynge in it the length onely of one perche. 
The whych is a verye true and a perfecte waye 



of metynge. But it is much laboriouse, and not 
spedefull to mete therewyth a greate quantite 
of lande in shorte tyme. And also it is very te­
dious, to marke truely a greate nombre of per­
ches in meatynge of them one after another. 
Therfore sum men do vse (and beste) for the more 
expedicion and spede to mete wyth a corde, or a 
lyne conteynynge in it fyue perches in lengthe, 
the which lyne .iiii. tymes layd in lengthe, doth 
make. xx. perches. Thys maner of metynge 
with a lyne hathe ben vsed longe tyme before. 
For the prophete Zacharye sayethe in the seconde
chapter, that when he lyfted vp his yes, he saye 
a man bearynge a metynge lyne in hys hande. 
And when the prophete asked the question of 
hym, whether he wente, thys man answered the 
prophet, that he went to mete Ierusalem, to know 
how much the length & bredth of it was. But 
because a corde or a lyne by drawyng it vpon the
ground wyl somtyme shrynke & waxe shorter, yf 
it take wette, and somtyme streche longer by long 
dryeth, therfore it shalbe necessary, to seare it
in whote waxe and rosyne, that it may kepe at
all tymes hys true leyngth.





¶ Of the diuersite of lynes and angles.

Because al maner of figures be made of lynes 



and angles, therfore it shalbe expedient first to 
know the diuersyte of them. For they make great 
differences in the makynge of measures. Ther­
fore ye shall dili|gently note that ther be thre 
maner of lynes, and thre maner of angles. Of 
lynes  one is a straygth lyne hangyng, the seconde 
  is a straygth lyne ouerthwarte, the thyrde and 
laste is a croked lyne hangyng or els ouerthwart 
Of angles one is a playne angle,  like to one of 
the angles of a. iiii. square, the seconde is a flat 
angle, lyke to one of the angles of. v. or. vi. square 
or mo. The last is a sharpe angle, lyke to one 
of the angles of a tryangle, or. iii. square. The 
which lynes and angles be these that here after 
followe.





¶ Of one maner waye to compte and 
summe the nombre of acres contey­
ned wythin ony measure.



Therfore in all other lyke maner of 
comptyng the summe of acres by money, ye shal
vnderstande alwayes, that a marke of moneye 
doth signifye an acre, a royale doth signifye thre 
quarters of an acre, or thre roodes, a noble dothe 
signify an halfe acre, a crowne doth signifye one 
roode and. v. dayeworkes. xl. d. doth signifye a 
quarter of an acre, or a roode. xii. d. doth signifye
iii. dayeworkes, a groote dothe signifye a daye­
worke, a penye dothe signifye a perche, an halfe 
penye dothe signifye an half perche, and a far­
thynge dothe signifye a quarter of a perche.