List of acts of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1765 facts for kids

For example, they changed taxes on raw silk, encouraged trade with Africa, and allowed the King to stop wheat exports if needed. The Import of Silk Act 1765 (Chapter 48) even banned foreign-made silk stockings and gloves to protect British silk makers.

• Smuggling (Chapter 39): The Mischief Act 1765 aimed to stop illegal trade to and from the Isle of Man, which was causing problems for British and Irish trade.
• Help for Debtors (Chapter 41): This law offered relief to people who were unable to pay their debts.
• Judges' Salaries (Chapter 47): This act increased the salaries of judges in various courts across Great Britain.
• Scottish Bank Notes (Chapter 49): This law tried to solve problems with how banks in Scotland issued notes and bills.
• Yorkshire Cloth (Chapter 51): This act updated old laws about making woollen cloth in Yorkshire, setting new rules to prevent fraud and maintain the quality of the cloth for international trade.

Roads and Infrastructure Laws

Many laws in 1765 focused on improving roads across Great Britain, making travel and trade easier. These were often called "Turnpike Acts" because they allowed for tolls to be collected to pay for road maintenance.

• Roads Across England (Chapter 52-79, 83-88, 90, 92, 93, 95, 96, 98-108): There were numerous acts for repairing, widening, and maintaining roads in counties like Sussex, Kent, Huntingdon, Nottinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Anglesey, Devon, Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Carmarthen, Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire, and Yorkshire. These laws helped connect towns and cities, which was vital for trade and communication.
• Manchester and Salford Improvements (Chapter 81): This act focused on cleaning and lighting the streets in Manchester and Salford, and also provided fire engines and firemen to prevent fires.
• Ramsgate and Sandwich Harbours (Chapter 82): This law helped improve and maintain the harbours at Ramsgate and Sandwich, which were important for shipping.
• Perth Bridge (Chapter 89): This act allowed for the building of a bridge over the River Tay near Perth in Scotland.
• City of London Improvements (Chapter 91): This law helped widen streets in the City of London and dealt with church land for this purpose.
• Ratcliffe Highway (Chapter 103): This act continued efforts to open, widen, and maintain a road from Ratcliffe Highway in Middlesex, and also included provisions for lighting, watching, and watering the roads.

Private Laws

Private acts were laws that affected specific people, families, or small groups, rather than the whole country. Many of these involved land, family estates, or changes of name.

• Inclosure Acts (Chapter 1, 2, 6-10, 23-46, 59-85, 106-108, 112, 113): A large number of private acts were "Inclosure Acts." These laws allowed common lands, which everyone could use for farming or grazing animals, to be divided up and fenced off into private plots. This changed the landscape of many villages and towns across England, including places like Podington (Bedfordshire), Donnington (Gloucestershire), Long Eaton (Derbyshire), and many more.
• Name Changes (Chapter 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 114): Several individuals received acts to legally change their surnames, often to inherit property or follow the wishes of a will. For example, Richard Hancorn changed his name to Duppa, and William Ager changed his to Turnor.
• Naturalization (Chapter 3, 4, 5, 19, 20, 21, 22, 56, 57, 58, 103, 104, 105, 115): These acts granted British citizenship to foreign-born individuals, allowing them to live and work in Great Britain with full rights.
• Estate Sales and Settlements (Chapter 11, 12, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 109, 110, 111): Many private acts dealt with the sale, purchase, or management of large family estates. This was often done to pay off debts, provide for family members, or exchange land. For example, an act allowed the sale of land belonging to Clare Hall, Cambridge, to William Earl of Shelburne (Chapter 48).
• Divorce (Chapter 54): One act dissolved the marriage of John Nixon with Hester Spencer, allowing him to marry again.
• Drainage (Chapter 40, 73, 86): Some acts focused on draining wet lands to make them suitable for farming, such as the Black Sluice Drainage Act in Lincolnshire (Chapter 86).

See also

• List of acts of the Parliament of Great Britain