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Acts & Ordinances of Parliament
Between 1642 and 1660 the English Parliament kept itself busy passing hundreds of Acts or Ordinances over the period. A sample of these is listed below, you can see the full list, along with an introduction by C H Firth at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=606
None of the Acts or Ordinances listed below are on the statute book of England as they did not receive Royal Assent and were therefore deemed invalid at the restoration.
Long Parliament
1642- Jan 1649
Both Houses sat for this period after the breach with the King up to his trial in January 1649 (1648 OS).
| Date. | Title. |
|---|---|
| 5 March, 1642 | An Ordinance for the safety and defence of the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales. [L.J., iv., 625.] Vol. i., p. 1. |
| 29 March, 1642 | Ordinance for settling the Militia of London. [L.J., iv., 682.] Vol. i., p. 5. |
| 28 May, 1642 | Ordinance for raising men for Ireland. [L.J., v., 91.] Vol. i., p. 6. |
| 9 June, 1642 | Ordinance for bringing in Plate, Money, and Horses. [L.J., v., 121; Husband, i., 339.] Vol. i., p. 6. |
| 17 June, 1642 | The Ordinance for the Sea-Adventure to Ireland. [L.J., v., 144.] Vol. i., p. 9. |
| 1 July, 1642 | Ordinance for the Earl of Warwick to remain in his command of the Fleet. [L.J., v., 174.] Vol. i., p. 12. |
| 15 July, 1642 | An Ordinance appointing the Earl of Essex to be Captain General. [Old Parl. Hist., xi., 297; L.J., v., 212.] Vol. i., p. 14. |
| 1 August, 1642 | An Ordinance concerning the Subsidy of Tonnage and Poundage. [L.J., v., 254; Husband, i., 792.] Vol. i., p. 16. |
| 15 September, 1642 | Ordinance appointing Commissioners of the Navy. [L.J., v., 355.] Vol. i., p. 27. |
| 20 October, 1642 | Ordinance for the Earl of Warwick to appoint commanders in the Navy in the English and Irish Seas. [L.J., v., 413.] |
| 22 October, 1642 | Ordinance appointing the Earl of Warwick to command a second army to be raised about London and the counties adjacent. [L.J., v., 417.] |
| 24 October, 1642 | An Ordinance making provision for those that shall be maimed in this present war in the service of the Parliament and for the wives and children of those that shall be slain. [L.J., v., 421; Husband, i., 673.] Vol. i., p. 36. |
| 24 October, 1642 | Ordinance for the security and safe conduct of the commissioners of the Realm of Scotland. [L.J., v., 420.] |
| 21 October, 1642 | Ordinance for the security and safe conduct of such Divines as shall come from the Realm of Scotland to the Assembly of Divines in this Kingdom. [L.J., v., 420.] |
| 1 November, 1642 | Ordinance concerning apprentices that list themselves as soldiers. [L.J., v., 428; Husband, i. 736.] Vol. i., p. 37. |
| 9 November, 1642 | Ordinance for the disciplining of the Army. [L.J., v., 439.] Vol. i., p. 37. |
| 15 November, 1642 | Order or ordinance empowering Maximilian Bard and other commissioners to seize horses in and about London. [L.J., v., 447.] |
| 26 November, 1642 | An Ordinance for the assessing of all such as have not contributed upon the Propositions of both Houses of Parliament for the raising of money, plate, horse and horsemen, etc. [L.J., v., 462; Husband, i., 764.] Vol. i., p. 38. |
| 29 November, 1642 | An Ordinance for the better provision of Victuals and other Necessaries for the Army and for payment and satisfaction to be made for such provisions. [L.J., v., 466; Husband, i., 763] Vol. i., p. 41. |
| 29 November, 1642 | An Ordinance to give power to divers persons to set forth ships for the taking of all ships that they shall take coming against the Kingdom. [L.J., v., 467; Husband, i., 785.] Vol. i., p. 42. |
| 8 December, 1642 | An Ordinance for taxing several counties for the support of the Army. [L.J., v., 482.] Vol. i., p. 47. |
Jan 1649 - Apr 1653
Only the House of Commons sat in this period prior to its purging by Cromwell. The House of Commons had abolished both King and House of Lords and taken for itself the ability to legislate.
Little Parliament
The Army and Cromwell's replacement for the Long Parliament. Also known as Barebone's Parliament after its Speaker. It sat from 4th July to 13th December 1653 and passed 26 Acts.
Ordinances of the Lord Protector
This is the period of the rule of the Major Generals, the Council of State issued a number of ordinances between December 1653 and September 1654 in the absence of a Parliament. Many of these were then confirmed by a subsequent Parliament.
Second Protectorate Parliament
The first protectorate Parliament didn't pass any new legislation. The first session of the second Parliament started on the 17th September 1656 and it was prorogued on the 26th June 26 1657. Its second session also didn't pass any new legislation.
Rump Parliament
This was the restored Long Parliament whose members returned in May 1659 and dissolved themselves the following March having invited King Charles II to return to England.
