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The Surveyor’s chain is a measuring device used for land survey. One chain is 66 feet in length and contains 100 links. One link, then, is 1/100 of a chain. This odd length assisted in calculating the area of a tract of land. It was designed and introduced in 1620 by English clergyman and mathematician Edmund Gunter (1581–1626) long before the development of the theodolite and other more sophisticated equipment, enabling plots of land to be accurately surveyed and plotted for legal and commercial purposes.
See who is currently in the Order of the Surveyor's Chain