BURIAL IN WOOL ACTS 1667 and 1678 (General)

by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Saturday, July 12, 2008, 06:57 (5987 days ago) @ Philippa

In order to boost the sale of wool, laws were passed ordering that all the dead be buried in wool and in wool lined coffins. An affidavit that this had been done was entered with each burial register, but not all complied and they were fined.

Parliament, inspired by its supporters among the farmers and landowners, passed two curious acts in 1667 and 1678 called 'the Burial in Wool Acts'

The 1678 Act said that:
'No corpse of any person shall be buried in any shirt, shift, sheet or shroud or anything whatsoever, made or mingled with flax, hemp, silk, hair, gold or silver, or in any stuff or thing other than what is made of sheeps wool only'.

It was repealed in 1814

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>