Legal Definitions - ell

An ell was a historical unit of measurement for length, primarily used in England and other European countries, particularly for textiles. While its exact length varied regionally, it was generally equivalent to about 45 inches, which is slightly longer than a modern yard (36 inches).

Here are some examples illustrating the historical use of the term:

• Imagine a 16th-century textile merchant in London selling fabric. They might advertise, "Fine Flemish linen, priced at three shillings per ell!"

  This example demonstrates the ell as a standard unit of measure for commercial transactions involving cloth, indicating the length of material being sold and purchased.

• A master tailor in 17th-century France might instruct an apprentice to "cut two ells of velvet for the Duke's new cloak."

  Here, the ell serves as a practical measurement for raw materials in a craft, showing its use in daily work for specifying the quantity of fabric needed for a particular garment.

• A historical shipping manifest from the 15th century might list a cargo as "500 ells of English wool cloth, bound for Bruges."

  This illustrates the ell being used in a formal record-keeping context, such as for inventory or trade documentation, to quantify large volumes of textile goods being transported internationally.