Public Worship Regulation Act 1874

Public Worship Regulation Act 1874[1]
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act for the better administration of the Laws respecting the regulation of Public Worship.
Citation37 & 38 Vict. c. 85
Introduced byArchbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait, 20 April 1874, private member's Bill[2] (Lords)
Territorial extent 
[3]
Dates
Royal assent7 August 1874
Commencement1 July 1875 (1875-07-01)[4]
Repealed1 March 1965
Other legislation
Repealed byEcclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1963 (No. 1), art 87, Sch 5
Status: Repealed

The Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 (37 & 38 Vict. c. 85) was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom, introduced as a Private Member's Bill by Archbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait, to limit what he perceived as the growing ritualism of Anglo-Catholicism and the Oxford Movement within the Church of England.[5] The Bill was strongly endorsed by Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, and vigorously opposed by Liberal Party leader William Ewart Gladstone. Queen Victoria strongly supported it.[6] The law was seldom enforced, but at least five clergymen were imprisoned by judges for contempt of court, which greatly embarrassed the Church of England archbishops who had vigorously promoted it.[7]

  1. ^ This short title was conferred on this Act by section 1 of this Act.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference hansard was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference PWRA.S3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference PWRA.S2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Murray (2005), pp. 212–4
  6. ^ Bebbington 1993, p. 226.
  7. ^ Chadwick 2010, pp. 348–350.