A vergée (French pronunciation: [vɛʁʒe], alternative spellings vergie, vrégie) is a unit of land area, a quarter of the old French arpent. The term derives from Latin virga (rod).[1] Compare French verge (yard).

Tables of conversion between Jersey vergées and English acres from an 1891 almanac

In the Channel Islands, it is a standard measure of land, but the statutory definition differs between the bailiwicks.

  • In France, a vergée was 12,100 square Paris feet (1,276.8 m2), equal to 25 square perches. The surveying perch measured 22 French feet.
  • In French North America, it was also equal to 25 square perches, but the royal perch of 18 feet was used, yielding a vergée of 8100 square feet (854.7 m2)
  • In Guernsey, a vergée (Guernésiais: vergie) is 17,640 square feet (1,639 m2). It is 40 (square) Guernsey perches. A Guernsey perch (also spelt perque) is 21 feet by 21 feet.[1][2]
  • In Jersey, a vergée (Jèrriais: vrégie) is 19,360 square feet (1,798.6 m2). It is 40 (square) Jersey perches. A Jersey perch (also spelt pèrque) is a square 24 pied de perche on each side (i.e. a square 22 imperial feet on each side).[3]
An inscribed stone describes this 11 vergée 25 perch clos des pauvres in Jersey

Conversions

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1 vergée (Guernsey) is equivalent to:

  • 1 638.80963 m2
  • 0.404958678 acres

1 vergée (Jersey) is equivalent to:

  • 1,798.60285 m2
  • 0.444444444 acres

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Cooper, Trevor (19 April 2012). "Out in the fields of gold". Guernsey Press. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  2. ^ De Garis, Marie (1 January 1982). Dictiounnaire Angllais-Guernésiais. Phillimore & Co Ltd. ISBN 978-0850334623.
  3. ^ Unusual Jersey Measures Archived July 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
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Note 1