Perch is a unit of measure that was used for linear distances. It was used to measure length, volume, and area. One perch is equivalent to around 10 feet in Classical Rome. When measuring an area, the perch is equivalent to 16 ½ feet long. This would make a perch equivalent to 272.25 feet. The reason why the measurement varies is because the middle ages convoluted the standard of measure for the perch. There was no uniform standard of measure for this unit. This is why the length and area for the perch varies from country to country within Europe
The French measured the perch to be between 10 to 22 feet, depending on who was measuring. This was because the perch was meant to be the length of an arrow, so the French thought it meant any arrow. The English decided that they wanted it to be the length of a rod instead of an arrow. This makes a lot of sense because the English and French hated each other at the time, so they probably forced themselves to be different. Before the English decided a perch was equal to 1 rod, the range of lengths varied from 18 to 24 feet long. Despite using the rod as a method for uniformity, the English continued to struggle with the measurement. Through the Victorian era, the perch was measured to be anywhere from 16 ½ feet and 25 feet.
The English considered a rod to be equivalent to ¼ of a chain. Basically, they measured things with random tools lying around. Not exactly a reliable way of doing things. It makes you wonder how reliable important infrastructure such as bridges and buildings were (it is almost certain that many bridges collapsed.) The Irish perch was always 21 feet. It seems only the Irish understood what uniformity meant.
The French measured the perch to be between 10 to 22 feet, depending on who was measuring. This was because the perch was meant to be the length of an arrow, so the French thought it meant any arrow. The English decided that they wanted it to be the length of a rod instead of an arrow. This makes a lot of sense because the English and French hated each other at the time, so they probably forced themselves to be different. Before the English decided a perch was equal to 1 rod, the range of lengths varied from 18 to 24 feet long. Despite using the rod as a method for uniformity, the English continued to struggle with the measurement. Through the Victorian era, the perch was measured to be anywhere from 16 ½ feet and 25 feet.
The English considered a rod to be equivalent to ¼ of a chain. Basically, they measured things with random tools lying around. Not exactly a reliable way of doing things. It makes you wonder how reliable important infrastructure such as bridges and buildings were (it is almost certain that many bridges collapsed.) The Irish perch was always 21 feet. It seems only the Irish understood what uniformity meant.
