Ecclesiastical Leases Act 1571 facts for kids
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| Long title | An Acte against Fraudes, defeating Remedies for Dilapidations, &c. |
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| Citation | 13 Eliz. 1. c. 10 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1998 |
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Status: Repealed
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Ecclesiastical Leases Act 1571 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk | |
The Ecclesiastical Leases Act 1571 was an important Act (a law) passed by the Parliament of England. It aimed to stop unfair deals involving church properties.
Contents
What Was the Ecclesiastical Leases Act 1571?
This law was created in 1571 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Its main goal was to prevent people in charge of church or college lands from making bad deals. These deals could harm the church or college in the long run.
Protecting Church and College Lands
The Act focused on properties owned by religious groups or educational institutions. This included lands managed by:
- Masters (leaders)
- Fellows (senior members)
- Deans of colleges (heads of certain church or university groups)
Rules for Property Deals
The law said that any agreement to transfer land from these church or college leaders would be "utterly void" (meaning completely invalid) if it was for:
- A period longer than 21 years.
- More than three "lives." This meant the agreement could last only as long as three specific people were alive. For example, it could be for a person's life, then their child's life, and then their grandchild's life.
This rule was put in place to make sure that church and college properties were not given away or leased for too long. This helped protect their future income and resources.
Why Was This Act Important?
The Ecclesiastical Leases Act 1571 was a key law for its time. It showed how the government tried to control how church and college lands were managed. This was especially important after the English Reformation, when many church properties had changed hands.
A Famous Legal Case
This Act was even discussed in a very famous court case called the Earl of Oxford's case in 1615. This case was about which type of law should be followed when different laws seemed to conflict. The Act helped show how complex property laws could be.
When Did the Act End?
Over many centuries, parts of the Ecclesiastical Leases Act 1571 became less important. What little was still in effect was finally removed by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1998. This modern Act helps to clear out old laws that are no longer needed.
