pied [French]

A premetric French unit of length, at least as early as the 16^th century. Literally translated, “foot.”

1

In France, the most widely used pied, and the one used in Paris, was the pied du roi, 324.83938497 millimeters (12.789 inches) = 12 pouces = 1728 lignes. It is often called the pied of Paris. Accordingly to legend, it is the length of Charlemagne’s foot.

Another unit, the pied géométrique, was the same length but was divided into 10 pouces and 100 lignes.

Another unit, the pied de solive = 1/6 solive, is not a unit of length but of a volume of wood. See solive.

In the systém usuel (1812 – 1839), the pied usuel = 1/3 meter, about 333.33 millimeters.

In addition to the above, many local units were in use prior to metrification, among them:

Name	Where	Value in millimeters
pied d'Agen	Agen, Aiguillon	342.3
(called pied de Comté in Arras), pied de Vermandois	Aire, Aisne, Ardennes, Arras, Beauvais, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Caen, Calvados, Camdray, Laon, Lille, Mézières, St. Omer, Saint-Quentin, Rouen, Vermandois, Vervins	297.77 mm, = 11 pouces of Paris
pied delphinal	Hautes-Alpes, Embrun, Gap	333.45, = 1/6 canne
pied ordinaire	Hautes-Alpes, Embrun, Gap	325.1
ancien pied or pan	Avignon	247.875, 1/8th of a canne, = 9 pouces = 108 lignes
pied barrois	Bar-le-Duc	294.4
	Bergues-St. Vinox	273.65
ancien pied	Besançon	314.74
pied de Comté	Besançon, Dôle,	357.5
	Bordeaux	356.74
	Bourgogne, Dijon, Dole, Mâon	331.2, = 2/5ths of the aune of Provence
	Briel	335.2
	Châlons-sur-Marne	270.7, = 10 pouces (they also used the pied de roi)
pied delphinal à Grenoble	Dauphiné, Grenoble	341
	Douay	297.8
pied de ville	Lyon	342.5
pied messin	Metz	282.3
pied de Lorraine	Metz, Nancy	285.93
pied d'évêché	Metz, Rouen	270.7, = 10 pouces of Paris
	Sedan	281.53, = 10.4 pouces of Paris
	Villefranche	332

Doursther, 1840.

2

In Mauritius and the Seychelles, ? – 20^th century, and in Haiti, 20^th century, approximately 32.48 centimeters. This is the pied de roi, not the American or imperial foot (= 30.48 centimeters).

3

In Quebec, Canada, the length of the pied was set at exactly 12.789 inches by Act of Parliament July 7, 1919 (9-10 George V, chapter 75, 1919). Again, the pied de roi.

4

In Switzerland, 19^th century, the pied, = 30 centimeters (about 11.81 inches), = 10 pouces = 100 lignes = 1000 traits. The previous pied was about 293.26 cm.

5

In Belgium, 32.49 centimeters (about 12.79 inches). Some older local values:

Name	Where	Value in millimeters
pied de Saint Hubert	Liége	294.698, used for carpentry
pied de Saint Lambert	Hasselt, Liée, Namur, Tongres, Saint-Trond,	291.796, = 10 pouces, used for land area
pied of Brussels	Brussels, Brabant, Liezele, Lippeloo, Oppuers, Puers,	275.75, = 11 pouces = 88 lignes
pied of Antwerp	Antwerp, Arendonck, Brabant, Brecht, Contich, Desschel, Lierre, Poppel, Ravels, Rethy, Santhove, Santvliet, Weelde, Wilryck,	286.8, = 11 pouce = 121 lignes (pouce was also divided into 8 lignes or parties)
pied linéaire or agraire de Gand	Saint Amand, Bornhem, Flanders, Gand. Hingene, Weerdt,	275.3, = 10 pouces = 100 lignes
pied de Hainaut	Ath, Boussu, Chimay, Enghien, Hainaut; Jemmape, Lessines et Leuze, Mons, Péruwelz, Quiévrain,	= 293.45
pied de maçonnerie, steenvoet	Audenaerde, Courtray; Ingelmunster, Iseghem, Wacken,	297.7
pied de charpente, houtvoet	Audenaerde	292
pied agraire	Audenaerde	285.1
	Bruge, Gristelles, Westerloo	274.4, = 11 pouces
pied de Liége	Charleroi, Chatelet, Chimay, Fleurus, Gosselies; Jumetz,	291.8
pied de Louvain	Diest, Louvain	285.512
	Duffel	278
(called pied du Vermandois in St. Quentin)	Flanders, Gand (for construction), Normandy,	297.77, = 11 pouces
pied de Gozée	Fontaine-l'Évêque, Gozée	275.65
	Furnes	278.1; = 10 pouces = 100 lignes
	Gheel; Hérenthals; Moll,	287.4
pied d'Alost	Grammot	277.2
	Heyst-op-den Berg	278; = 11 pouces = 121 lignes
pied de ste. Gertrude	Nivelles	277.09,
pied de Ruremonde	Ruremonde	283
pied de Gueldre	Ruremonde	287.9
	Teralphene	277.65
	Termonde	276
	Tirlemont	285.5
pied d'Ypres	Warneton, Ypres	273.9