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Animal Rights History Timeline » [1450-1660] Renaisance » Animal Rights Law

Sunday Observance Act 1657

Great Britain Interregmum-Commonwealth of England: Cromwell Protectorate-Parliament of the Protectorate

An Act for the Better Observation of the Lord's Day

"Every person being a Waggoner, Carrier, Butcher, Higler, Drover, or any of their servants, travelling… And every Butcher killing any Cattel, and every Butcher, Costermonger, Poulterer…exposing or offering to sell…and the persons buying such Wares or Commodities,…all persons keeping, using or being present upon the Day aforesaid at any…Shootings,…Bear-Baiting, Bull-Baiting, or any other Sports and Pastimes…shall be deemed guilty of prophaning the Lords-Day."

[1657-Jun-26 ] "An Act for the Better Observation of the Lord's Day," in Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660 (London, 1911; British History Online) 1662-70.

Forasmuch as God hath appointed one day in Seven to be kept holy unto himself, and that in order thereunto man should abstain from the works of his ordinary calling, & hath intrusted the Magistrate amongst others, to take care thereof within his gates; and whereas it is found by daily experience, that the first day of the week (being the Lords day, and since the resurrection of Christ to be acknowledged the Christian Sabbath) is frequently neglected and prophaned to the dishonor of Christ, and Profession of the Gospel; therefore for the better Observation of the said Day, and preventing in some measure such Prophanation thereof for the future, Be it Enacted by His Highness the Lord Protector, and the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, and the Dominions thereunto belonging, That whatsoever person or persons within this Commonwealth shall be found guilty according to this Act, of doing and committing the Offences hereafter mentioned upon the said Lords-Day, that is to say, Betwixt Twelve of the Clock on Saturday night, and Twelve of the Clock LordsDay night, shall be adjudged, deemed and taken to be guilty of Prophaning the Lords-Day; That is to say, Every person being a Waggoner, Carrier, Butcher, Higler, Drover, or any of their servants, travelling or coming by Land or Water, into his or their Inn, House or Lodging within the times aforesaid; And every InnKeeper, Victualler or Alehouse-Keeper, who shall Lodge and entertain any such Waggoner, Carrier, Butcher, Higler, Drover or their servants, coming and travelling as aforesaid; Every person using or imploying any Boat, Wherry, Lighter, Barge, Horse, Coach or Sedan, or travelling or laboring with any of them upon the Day aforesaid (except it be to and from some place for the Service of God, or except in case of necessity, to be allowed by some Justice of the Peace) Every person being in any Tavern, Inn, Ale-house, Victualling-house, Strongwater-house, Tobacco-house, Cellar or Shop, (not lodging there, nor upon urgent necessity, to be allowed by a Justice of Peace) or fetching or sending for any Wine, Ale or Beer, Tobacco, Strongwater, or other strong liquor unnecessarily, and to Tipple within any other House or Shop; And the Keeper or Owners of every such Houses, Cellars, or Shops, keeping or causing to be kept their doors ordinarily and usually open upon the Day aforesaid; Every person Dauncing, or prophanely Singing or Playing upon Musical Instruments, or Tipling in any such Houses, Cellars or Shops, or elsewhere upon the Day aforesaid, or harbouring or entertaining the persons so offending; Every person Grinding or causing to be Ground any Corn or Grain in any Miln, or causing any Fulling or other Mills to work upon the Day aforesaid; And every persons working in the Washing, Whiting or Drying of Clothes, Threed or Yarn, or causing such Work to be done upon the Day aforesaid; Every person setting up, burning or branding Beet, Turf or Earth, upon the Day aforesaid; Every person gathering of Rates, Loans, Taxations, or other Payments upon the Day aforesaid (Except to the use of the Poor in the Publique Collections) Every Chaundler Melting or causing to be melted, Tallow or Wax belonging to his Calling; And every common Brewer and Baker, Brewing and Baking, or causing Bread to be baked, or Beer or Ale to be brewed upon the Day aforesaid; And every Butcher killing any Cattel, and every Butcher, Costermonger, Poulterer, Herb-Seller, Cordwayner, Shoomaker, or other persons Selling, exposing or offering to sell any their Wares or Commodities, and the persons buying such Wares or Commodities, upon the Day aforesaid; All Taylors and other Tradesmen, fitting or going to fit, or carry any wearing Apparel or other things; And Barbers Trimming upon the Day aforesaid; All persons keeping, using or being present upon the Day aforesaid at any Fairs, Markets, Wakes, Revels, Wrestlings, Shootings, Leaping, Bowling, Ringing of Bells for pleasure, or upon any other occasion, (saving for calling people together for the publique Worship) Feasts, Church-Ale, MayPoles, Gaming, Bear-Baiting, Bull-Baiting, or any other Sports and Pastimes; All persons unnecessarily walking in the Church or Church-Yards, or elsewhere in the time of Publique Worship; And all persons vainly and prophanely walking on the day aforesaid; And all persons Travelling, carrying Burthens, or doing any worldly labour or work of their ordinary Calling on the Day aforesaid, shall be deemed guilty of prophaning the Lords-Day.…