Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Unknown
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The system of weights and measures in Great Britain had been in use since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Following a reform begun in 1824 the imperial standard yard was adopted in 1855. The imperial standards were made legal by an Act of Parliament in 1855.
Members of the Commission appointed in 1838 'to consider the steps to be taken for the restoration of the standards of weights and measures', included Sir George Biddell Airy (Astronomer Royal), Francis Baily, Sir John George Shaw-Lefevre and Sir John William Lubbock. A report was issued in 1841.