Recruiting Act 1779
Encyclopedia
The Recruiting Act 1779 was an Act of Parliament
passed by the Parliament of Great Britain
. It was a press act for the recruiting of his Majesty's Land Forces. After the losses in the American Revolutionary War
and the apprehended hostilities with France, the existing voluntary enlistment measures were judged to be insufficient. It served as a revision of the Recruiting Act 1778
.
It raised the bounty £3, 3s. After the expiration of their service, volunteers were exempt from the performance of statue (highway) duty, for service as parish officers, and from service in the army, navy, or militia. They were allowed to set up and exercise any trade in any place in Great Britain.
It enlarged those subject to impressment beyond smugglers and "all able-bodied and disorderly persons" to include those "convicted of running away from and leaving their families chargeable upon the parish". The chief advantage of this act was in the number of volunteers brought in under the apprehension of impressment.
The act received royal assent on 9 February 1779. On 26 May 1780 it was repealed with the exception of the parts relating to volunteers. It was wholly repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1871.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
passed by the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
. It was a press act for the recruiting of his Majesty's Land Forces. After the losses in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and the apprehended hostilities with France, the existing voluntary enlistment measures were judged to be insufficient. It served as a revision of the Recruiting Act 1778
Recruiting Act 1778
The Recruiting Act 1778 is an Act of Parliament passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. It was a press act "for the more easy and better recruiting of his Majesty's Land Forces"...
.
It raised the bounty £3, 3s. After the expiration of their service, volunteers were exempt from the performance of statue (highway) duty, for service as parish officers, and from service in the army, navy, or militia. They were allowed to set up and exercise any trade in any place in Great Britain.
It enlarged those subject to impressment beyond smugglers and "all able-bodied and disorderly persons" to include those "convicted of running away from and leaving their families chargeable upon the parish". The chief advantage of this act was in the number of volunteers brought in under the apprehension of impressment.
The act received royal assent on 9 February 1779. On 26 May 1780 it was repealed with the exception of the parts relating to volunteers. It was wholly repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1871.