Daily AncestorGunter's chain
A Gunter's chain was a surveyor's measuring chain 66 feet long, with 100 links; land records measure distances in chains and links.
Gunter's chain, introduced in England in 1620, was 66 feet long and divided into 100 links of 7.92 inches. A chain became a standard unit of land measure.
Four rods make a chain, 80 chains make a mile and 10 square chains make an acre. When a deed gives a line as 20 chains 50 links, it means 1,353 feet.
As seen in a recordDeed recorded in a county deed book, 1800s
Thence south 20 chains 50 links to a post.
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Gunter's chain." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/gunters-chain. Last checked 2026-10-01.