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About these units
Ell (ell)
The ell is a traditional European unit of length, varying between 45–70 cm depending on the region. It originated from the forearm or arm length and became standardized in many countries for measuring cloth and textiles. In commerce, the ell simplified transactions, allowing merchants to describe fabric lengths efficiently. In tailoring, it offered a consistent basis for cutting and patterning clothing. The unit was essential in guild systems, where precision and repeatability in textile production were critical. While largely obsolete today due to the metric system, the ell remains significant for historians, textile scholars, and anyone studying pre-modern European commerce and craft practices.
Chain (ch)
A chain is equal to 66 feet or 4 rods, and it was standardized by surveyor Edmund Gunter in the 17th century. "Gunter's chain," consisting of 100 metal links, became the backbone of land surveying in the English-speaking world for centuries. Its convenience stems from simple arithmetic: 10 square chains make an acre, making land area calculations straightforward. Railroads, farmland, and city parcels across the United States and the Commonwealth nations were once laid out using chains, so the unit appears in countless historical records. Even today, some legal property descriptions still reference chain-based measurements, making the unit relevant for modern surveyors who interpret old maps. Although high-precision digital equipment has replaced physical chains, the unit's structural role in land division ensures its lasting importance.