Penal Laws against Wales 1402

The Penal Laws against Wales were a set of laws, passed by the English Parliament in 1402. They were designed to establish English dominance in Wales during the Welsh Revolt/Glyndŵr Rising (1400–1415), led by Owain Glyndŵr.

These laws banned the Welsh from obtaining senior public office, the bearing of arms or buying property in English towns. All public assembly was forbidden, and education of Welsh children was restricted. Englishmen who married Welsh women also came under these laws.

There were three acts passed by the English Parliament in 1402 : the Wales Act, the Wales and Welshmen Act & the Welshmen Act.

The laws were not ended by the Laws in Wales Acts (1535 and 1542) – BUT were finally repealed by the last parliament called by James I ( The Happy Parliament ) in 1624 – 17 years after the English laws against the Scots had been repealed : Stats 4 & 5 James I, c.1; 21 James 1, cc. 10, 28 section 1 ; listed in Statutes of the Realm ( London 1819 ) vol iv, pp 1134 – 7, 1219, 1239 ( from note 10, page 6 : British Consciousness and Identity – The Making of Britain 1533–1707 – eds Brendan Bradshaw and Peter Roberts – Cambridge University Press 1998 – http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam034/97033420.pdf )

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