List of acts of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1792 facts for kids

This article lists the laws, called Acts of Parliament, that were passed by the Parliament of Great Britain in the year 1792. The Parliament of Great Britain was the main law-making body for England, Scotland, and Wales before the year 1801.

These laws helped manage many parts of life, from taxes and trade to building new roads and canals. Each law is given a special number, called a "chapter number," and is identified by the year of the king's reign when it was passed. For example, "32 Geo. 3 c. 1" means it was the first law passed in the 32nd year of King George III's reign.

Before 1793, a law was considered active from the very first day of the parliamentary session, even if it was passed much later in the year. This sometimes meant a law was technically "active" before it was even finished!

Laws of 1792 (32 Geo. 3)

The laws listed below were passed during the second meeting of the 17th Parliament of Great Britain. This session lasted from January 31, 1792, to June 15, 1792.

Public Laws

Public laws affect everyone in the country. Many laws passed in 1792 were about managing money, like taxes and government spending. Others focused on improving daily life and trade.

• Controverted Elections, etc. Act 1792 (c. 1): This law dealt with how arguments about election results were handled.
• Taxes and Duties Acts (c. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 18, 41, 51, 54): Several laws were passed to change or remove taxes on things like houses, servants, wagons, candles, and malt (used to make beer). There were also laws about land tax and duties on goods like tea and sugar. These laws helped the government collect money to run the country.
• Excise Revenue Acts (c. 8, 10, 21, 40): These acts aimed to prevent cheating when collecting taxes on goods made and sold within the country, such as beer, soap, and glass.
• Trade and Economy Acts (c. 9, 11, 14, 32, 36, 37, 43, 49, 50, 65): Laws were passed to regulate trade with other countries, including America and Ireland. Some focused on specific goods like tea, sugar, coffee, and certain types of tree bark used in tanning. There were also laws to help the coast trade within Great Britain.
• National Debt Reduction Act 1792 (c. 12, 55): These laws aimed to reduce the country's national debt by setting aside money for this purpose.
• Royal Family Support Act (c. 13): This act provided money for the Duke and Duchess of York and Albany.
• Military and Naval Acts (c. 17, 19, 33, 34, 67): These laws covered the rules and payment for soldiers (Mutiny Act) and sailors (Navy Acts) in the King's forces, including the Marines.
• Fishery Act 1792 (c. 22): This law encouraged fishing in places like the Greenland Seas.
• Bank of Scotland Act 1792 (c. 25): This act allowed the Bank of Scotland to increase its capital, meaning it could handle more money.
• Militia Pay Act 1792 (c. 26): This law set out how the local defense forces (Militia) in England would be paid and clothed.
• Indemnity Act 1792 (c. 27): This law protected people who had accidentally missed deadlines for qualifying for certain jobs or registering their legal documents.
• Lottery Act 1792 (c. 28, 61): This act allowed the government to raise money through a lottery. Another act protected newspaper owners from penalties related to lottery advertisements.
• Wear Coal Trade Act 1792 (c. 29): This law created a fund to help coal workers (skippers and keelmen) on the River Wear in Durham who were sick, old, or had accidents, and also supported their families.
• Church and Parish Acts (c. 30, 39, 64, 66, 87, 88, 89, 99): Many acts focused on local church matters, such as rebuilding churches (Bridgnorth, Saint Botolph, Saint Bride, Hereford Cathedral, Lane End Chapel, Leeds) or providing new burial grounds (Saint Pancras, Worcester).
• Canvey Island, Sea Defences Act 1792 (c. 31): This law helped improve the sea defenses and drainage on Canvey Island in Essex.
• Court of Chancery Offices Act 1792 (c. 42): This act allowed the High Court of Chancery to use money to build new offices for its staff and to store important legal documents.
• Silk Manufacture Act 1792 (c. 44): This law helped regulate wages for silk workers and made it harder for people to buy stolen silk.
• Rogues and Vagabonds Act 1792 (c. 45): This act updated older laws about "rogues and vagabonds" (people without a fixed home or job) and workhouses.
• Courts Newfoundland Act 1792 (c. 46): This important act set up courts in Newfoundland and nearby islands, establishing a legal system there.
• Hackney Coaches Act 1792 (c. 47): This law updated rules for hackney coaches (early taxis).
• Middlesex Sessions Act 1792 (c. 48): This act allowed judges in Middlesex to continue court sessions even if other important court dates overlapped.
• Slave Trade Act 1792 (c. 52): This law continued previous acts that regulated the shipping of enslaved people in British ships from Africa. (Note: The slave trade was later abolished in 1807).
• Middlesex Justices Act 1792 (c. 53): This act aimed to improve how justice was handled by Justices of the Peace in and around London, and to prevent serious crimes.
• Parish Apprentices Act 1792 (c. 57): This law further regulated how poor children were apprenticed by parishes.
• Information in Nature of Quo Warranto Act 1792 (c. 58): This law improved legal procedures for challenging someone's right to hold a public office.
• Licensing of Alehouses Act 1792 (c. 59): This act updated rules for licensing pubs and places that sold wine.
• Libel Act 1792 (c. 60): Also known as Fox's Act, this was a very important law. It clarified that juries, not just judges, had the power to decide if something published was libel (a false and damaging statement). This was a big step for freedom of the press.
• Coaches, Bond Street Act 1792 (c. 62): This act moved the taxi stand out of New Bond Street and Old Bond Street in London.
• Scottish Episcopalians Relief Act 1792 (c. 63): This law granted relief to members of the Episcopal Church in Scotland, who had faced some restrictions.
• Infrastructure and Improvement Acts (c. 68, 69, 71, 74, 75, 78, 79, 80, 82, 86, 90, 92, 93, 94, 103, 104): Many acts focused on improving towns and infrastructure. Examples include:

* Renfrew Roads and Bridges Act 1792 (c. 68): Improved roads and bridges in Renfrew, Scotland. * Manchester and Salford Improvement Act 1792 (c. 69): Cleaned, lit, watched, and regulated streets in Manchester and Salford. * Great and Little Bolton Improvement Act 1792 (c. 71): Improved streets, provided water, and regulated hackney coaches in Bolton. * Ramsgate Harbour and Sandwich Act 1792 (c. 74): Maintained and improved Ramsgate Harbour and Sandwich Haven. * Whitehaven Improvement Act 1792 (c. 75): Enlarged and improved Whitehaven Harbour. * Derby Improvement Act 1792 (c. 78): Paved, cleaned, and lit streets in Derby. * Boston Improvement Act 1792 (c. 80): Improved paving and cleaning in Boston. * Bristol Gaol Act 1792 (c. 82): Built a new prison and house of correction in Bristol. * Broadstairs Pier Act 1792 (c. 86): Repaired and rebuilt the pier at Broadstairs. * Sunderland Improvement Act 1792 (c. 90): Built a bridge across the River Wear in Sunderland. * Beer, Devon, Harbour Act 1792 (c. 92): Created a harbour in Beer Cove, Devon. * Leith and Bruntisland Ferries, etc. Act 1792 (c. 93): Improved ferry services and harbours between Edinburgh and Fife. * Nith Fisheries Act 1792 (c. 94): Regulated and improved salmon fishing in the River Nith. * Portsea Improvement Act 1792 (c. 103): Improved streets and removed nuisances in Portsea. * Carmarthen Improvement Act 1792 (c. 104): Built a new prison, supplied water, and improved streets in Carmarthen.

• Canal and Navigation Acts (c. 81, 83, 84, 100, 101, 102, 105, 106, 107): Many acts were passed to create or improve canals and river navigation, which were vital for transporting goods during this period.

* Birmingham Canal Navigation Act 1792 (c. 81): Created a navigable canal from Wyrley Bank to Wolverhampton. * Leigh and Deerhurst Canal Act 1792 (c. 83): Built a canal from Coombe Hill to the River Severn. * Manchester and Oldham Canal Act 1792 (c. 84): Built a canal from Manchester to Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham. * Nottingham Canal Act 1792 (c. 100): Built a canal from the Cromford Canal to Nottingham and the River Trent. * Westmoreland Canals Act 1792 (c. 101): Built a canal from Kirkby Kendal to West Houghton, with branches. * Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Act 1792 (c. 102): Built a canal from Pontnewynydd to the River Usk, with railways to iron works. * Medway Navigation Act 1792 (c. 105): Improved navigation on the River Medway. * Sleaford Navigation Act 1792 (c. 106): Created a navigation from Sleaford Castle Causeway to the River Witham. * Tattershall Canal Act 1792 (c. 107): Enlarged Tattershall Canal and extended it to Horncastle.

• Poor Relief Acts (c. 20, 70, 85, 95, 96, 99): These laws aimed to improve how poor people were supported and employed in various parishes and towns, such as Stone (Staffordshire), Tewkesbury, Whitchurch (Salop), Atcham, Montgomery, and Worcester.
• Patent Acts (c. 72, 73): These acts protected inventions, like James Turner's yellow colour and Joseph Booth's discovery, ensuring the inventors had sole rights to their creations for a time.
• Gloucestershire Small Debts Act 1792 (c. 77): This law made it easier and quicker to recover small debts in certain areas of Gloucestershire.
• Taunton Hospital Act 1792 (c. 98): This act appointed commissioners to sell an unfinished hospital building in Taunton if enough money wasn't raised to complete it.
• Land Drainage and Enclosure Acts (c. 91, 108, 109, 110): These acts dealt with draining land for farming and enclosing common lands, which changed how land was owned and used. Examples include Great Carlton (Lincolnshire), Isle of Ely, Hull, and Hexham.
• Roads Acts (c. 111-160): A large number of acts were passed to repair, widen, and improve roads across Great Britain. These "turnpike roads" often had tolls to pay for their upkeep. They were crucial for trade and travel. Examples include roads in Norwich, Durham, Wiltshire, Horsham, Warwick, Kent, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Ayr, Lanark, Peebles, Suffolk, Derby, Cambridge, Somerset, Kingston, and Glasgow.

Private and Personal Laws

Private acts were special laws that affected only specific people, families, or small groups, rather than the whole country.

• Naturalization Acts (c. 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 69, 70): These acts granted British citizenship to individuals born in other countries, like John Baptist Davallon, Richard Walker, and Joseph Ventura.
• Inclosure Acts (c. 2, 3, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 72): Many private acts were "Inclosure Acts." These laws allowed common lands (land shared by many people) to be divided up and fenced off into private plots. This changed farming practices and land ownership in many villages across England, such as Avebury (Wiltshire), Croscombe (Somerset), Walton-on-the-Wolds (Leicestershire), and Mold (Flintshire). Some also settled parish boundaries.
• Estate Acts (c. 10, 12, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 71): These acts dealt with the management, sale, or exchange of land and property belonging to specific families or institutions, like Ralph Carr's Estate, Balliol College Oxford, the Duke of Norfolk's Estate, and the Bristol Cathedral Estate. Some allowed for building leases on church lands.
• Divorce Acts (c. 13, 14, 15): In this era, getting a divorce was very difficult and often required a special Act of Parliament. These acts dissolved the marriages of specific individuals, such as William Raybould, John Larking, and John Wilmot.
• Name Change Acts (c. 4, 68): These acts allowed individuals to legally change their surname, like Gilbert Trowe Beckett to Turner, and Nutcombe Quick to Nutcombe.

See also

• List of acts of the Parliament of Great Britain