Making of Bread, etc. Act 1800 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to prevent, until the sixth Day of November one thousand eight hundred and one, and from thence to the End of six Weeks from the Commencement of the then next Session of Parliament, the manufacturing of any Fine Flour from Wheat, or other Grain, and the making of any Bread solely from the Fine Flour of Wheat; and to repeal an Act, passed in the thirty-sixth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, for permitting Bakers to make and sell certain Sorts of Bread, and to make more effectual Provision for the same. |
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| Citation | 41 Geo. 3. (U.K.) c. 16 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 24 March 1801 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1872 |
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Status: Repealed
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The Making of Bread Act 1800 was a special law passed in Great Britain. It was also known as the Making of Bread, etc. Act 1800. This law stopped people who owned mills from making any flour that wasn't wholemeal flour. Wholemeal flour uses the entire grain of wheat.
Why the Law Was Made
This law was created because of a big problem: there wasn't enough food. In 1799, the wheat harvest was very bad. This meant less wheat was grown.
At that time, many working families depended a lot on bread. It was a main part of their diet. The price of bread could be more than half of what they earned each week. So, when food was scarce, the government tried to find ways to make sure everyone had enough to eat.
What the Act Said
The Making of Bread Act 1800 had a simple rule. It said that only wholemeal flour could be made. This meant that millers could not produce fine, white flour. The idea was that using the whole grain would make the available wheat go further.
What Happened After
The law quickly became very unpopular. People didn't like it at all. It was also very hard for the government to make sure everyone followed the new rule.
The government became worried about how upset people were. There was a lot of public anger. Because of this, the law was canceled in less than two months.
One story from Horsham, a town in Sussex, shows how strong people's feelings were:
A group of women went to Gosden wind-mill. They were angry at the miller for giving them brown flour. They grabbed the cloth he was using to prepare the meal, as the Bread Act required. They cut it into many pieces. They also warned him that they would do the same to any other tools he tried to use for this purpose.
This event shows that people were very serious about their dislike for the new bread law.
See also
