What Is quarter (UK)?
The quarter in the United Kingdom is an old measuring unit. It was used mainly for weighing things like farm goods, and for measuring dry goods such as grain. Today it is not used in normal shopping, but you will see it in history books, old laws and records.
Definition
The word quarter means one fourth of something bigger. In the UK measurement system, the quarter was used in two main ways.
- Quarter as a unit of weight:
In everyday trade a quarter often meant one fourth of a hundredweight.
1 quarter (weight) = 28 pounds (lb) ≈ 12.7 kilograms (kg). - Quarter as a unit of dry volume for grain:
For grain and other dry goods, a quarter was a large volume unit.
1 quarter (grain) = 8 bushels ≈ 290 liters (L).
The exact amount could change in older times depending on the place and the type of goods, but the values above are the commonly used standard forms in the later Imperial system.
History / Origin
The UK quarter comes from medieval England. People then used many large measures to count grain, wool and other farm products. These measures were important for taxes, rent and trade.
The idea of the quarter is simple. It started as one fourth of a larger unit. For grain, it was one fourth of a very large measure called a last or load. For weight, it was often one fourth of a hundredweight or sometimes one fourth of a ton, depending on local custom.
Over time, the British government tried to make the system more regular. In the 19th century, the Imperial system defined the bushel, gallon and other units more clearly. From then, the grain quarter was most commonly taken as 8 Imperial bushels. The system stayed in use into the 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in farming and shipping.
When the UK moved toward the metric system, the quarter slowly disappeared from everyday use, though it still appears in old documents, farm records and historical price lists.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The quarter has been written in several short forms.
- qr
- qtr
- qt sometimes, but this can be confused with quart, a different volume unit.
In tables and records, you might see something like 2 qrs or 3 qtr. The meaning depends on the context.
- If it is in a list of weights, it usually means quarters of 28 pounds each.
- If it is in a list of grain volumes, it usually means quarters of 8 bushels each.
Because of possible confusion, modern writing usually explains in words instead of using these short forms.
Current Use Around the World
Today the quarter is mostly a historical unit. It is not part of the modern SI metric system, and it is not used in normal trade in the UK or in most other countries.
You may still see the quarter in these places.
- History books and school studies that talk about old farming, grain trade and taxes.
- Old laws and government records where rent, fines or amounts of grain were written using quarters.
- Genealogy and local history work when people read old account books, estate records or market prices.
- Museums and heritage farms that show how people measured goods in the past.
Modern trade in the UK and around the world now uses kilograms and tonnes for weight, and liters or cubic meters for volume. Because of this, the quarter is mainly of interest for learning and research, not for daily life.
Example Conversions
Here are some simple examples showing how UK quarters relate to modern units.
Weight quarter (1 quarter = 28 lb ≈ 12.7 kg)
- 1 quarter (weight) ≈ 28 pounds ≈ 12.7 kilograms
- 2 quarters (weight) ≈ 56 pounds ≈ 25.4 kilograms
- 4 quarters (weight) ≈ 112 pounds ≈ 50.8 kilograms (about 1 hundredweight)
Volume quarter for grain (1 quarter = 8 bushels ≈ 290 L)
- 1 quarter (grain) = 8 Imperial bushels ≈ 290 liters ≈ 0.29 cubic meters
- 0.5 quarter (grain) = 4 bushels ≈ 145 liters
- 2 quarters (grain) = 16 bushels ≈ 580 liters
Quick comparison to everyday objects
- 1 quarter (weight) at about 12.7 kg is a bit heavier than a standard packed school backpack.
- 1 quarter (grain) at about 290 liters is roughly the volume of a large home bathtub filled close to the top.
Related Units
The quarter is part of the old English and later British Imperial systems. It is linked to several other traditional units.
- Pound (lb) basic unit of weight, 1 quarter (weight) = 28 lb.
- Stone 1 stone = 14 lb, so 1 quarter (weight) = 2 stone.
- Hundredweight (cwt) 1 hundredweight = 112 lb, so 4 quarters (weight) = 1 hundredweight.
- Ton Imperial long ton = 2240 lb, which is 80 quarters (weight) of 28 lb each.
- Bushel dry volume unit for grain, 1 quarter (grain) = 8 bushels.
- Peck smaller dry unit, 1 bushel = 4 pecks, so 1 quarter (grain) = 32 pecks.
- Gallon and quart liquid and dry volume units linked to the bushel. Be careful, the word quart is different from quarter.
FAQs
Q1. Is the quarter still used in the UK today?
A1. Not in normal life. Shops and markets no longer use the quarter. It is mostly found in old records, history books and in some traditional or museum settings.
Q2. What is the difference between a quarter and a quart?
A2. A quarter is usually a large grain or weight unit, like 8 bushels or 28 lb. A quart is a much smaller volume unit equal to one fourth of a gallon. The names sound alike but they are not the same.
Q3. How many kilograms are in one UK quarter of weight?
A3. One common UK weight quarter was 28 pounds. This is about 12.7 kilograms. If you need an exact figure, you can use 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg and multiply by 28.
Q4. How many bushels are in one quarter of grain?
A4. In the British Imperial system, one quarter of grain is 8 bushels. This is a large amount used mainly for big grain trades, not small sales.
Q5. Why did people stop using the quarter?
A5. The quarter was part of a very complex old system. Different places sometimes used slightly different values. When the UK and many other countries moved to the metric system with kilograms and liters, it became easier to use one clear set of units. Over time the quarter became outdated.
Q6. How can I convert quarters to modern units?
A6. First decide if your quarter is a weight quarter or a grain volume quarter.
For weight, use 1 quarter ≈ 28 lb ≈ 12.7 kg. For grain volume, use 1 quarter = 8 bushels ≈ 290 L.
Then multiply or divide as needed.
Q7. Where might I see the quarter in real documents?
A7. You might see it in old farm accounts, shipping records, grain price lists, land rent agreements, or tax records from Britain and countries once linked to British trade. Historians and students often meet this unit when studying those materials.