| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An act for a publick thanksgiving to Almighty God every year on the fifth day of November. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 3 Jas. 1. c. 1 |
| Introduced by | Edward Montagu |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 27 May 1606 |
| Repealed | 25 March 1859 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Anniversary Days Observance Act 1859 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Observance of 5th November Act 1605,[1] also known as the Thanksgiving Act 1605, was an act of the Parliament of England passed in 1606 in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot.
The originating bill was drafted and introduced on 23 January 1606 (New Style) by Edward Montagu and called for an annual public thanksgiving for the failure of the plot.[2][3] It required church ministers to hold a special service of thanksgiving annually on 5 November, during which the text of the act was to be read out loud. Everyone was required to attend, and to remain orderly throughout the service, although no penalties were prescribed for breach. The act remained on the statute book until 1859.
- ^ "Observance of 5th November Act 1605 (3 Ja I, ch 1)". Statutes at Large. Vol. IV. London. 1811. pp. 631–632.
- ^ Cust, Richard (2004). "Montagu, Edward, first Baron Montagu of Boughton (1562/3–1644)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19007. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Antonia Fraser, The Gunpowder Plot. Terror and Faith in 1605 (BCA, 1996), p. 218.