Leases for Lives Act 1777
LEASES FOR LIVES ACT 1777 | ||
CHAP. XLIX. | ||
An Act for the Relief of his Majesty’s Subjects of this Kingdom professing the Popish Religion. | ||
To relax the disabilities on Roman Catholicks by 2 Anne c. 6. and 8 Anne c. 3. | ||
Papists subject to proviso herein, may take leases not exceeding 999 years certain, or determinable on lives not exceeding 5. | ||
Rent reserved bona fide in money, | ||
with or without waste, | ||
disposed of by will or otherwise, | ||
lands of papists descendable, deviseable, and transferable, as if in seizin of any other. | ||
WHEREAS by an act made in this kingdom in the second year of her late Majesty Queen Anne, entitled, An act to prevent the further growth of popery, and also by another act made in the eighth year of her said reign for explaining and amending the said act, the Roman Catholicks of Ireland are made subject to several disabilities and incapacities therein particularly mentioned: and whereas from their uniform peaceable behaviour for a long series of years it appears reasonable and expedient to relax the same, and it must tend not only to the cultivation and improvement of this kingdom, but to the prosperity and strength of all his Majesty’s dominions, that his subjects of all denominations should enjoy the blessings of our free constitution, and should be bound to each other by mutual interest and mutual affection: therefore be it enacted by the King’s most excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal and commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same. That from and after the first day of August one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight it shall and may be lawful to and for any papist, or person professing the popish religion, subject to the provisoe hereinafter contained as to the taking and subscribing the oath and declaration therein mentioned, to take, hold, and enjoy any lease or leases for any term or terms of years, not exceeding nine hundred and ninety nine years certain, or for any term of years determinable upon any number of lives, not exceeding five, provided always, that upon every such lease a rent bona fide to be paid in money shall be reserved and made payable during such terms with or without liberty of committing waste as fully and beneficially to all intents and purposes, as any other his Majesty’s subjects in this kingdom, and the same to dispose of by will or otherwise as he shall think fit; and all lands, tenements, and hereditaments, whereof any papist or person professing the popish religion is now seized or shall be seized by virtue of a title legally derived by, from, or under such person or persons, now seized in fee simple or fee tail, whether at law or in equity, shall from and after the time aforesaid be descendable, deviseable, and transferable, as fully, beneficially, and effectually, as if the same were in the seizin of any other of his Majesty’s subjects in this kingdom. |