Five Mile Act 1665

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Nonconformists Act 1665

Parliament of England
Long title	An Act for restraining Non-Conformists from inhabiting in Corporations
Citation	17 Charles II c. 2
Dates
Commencement	1665
Repealed	1828
Other legislation
Repealed by	Sacramental Test Act 1828
Status: Repealed

The Five Mile Act, or Oxford Act, or Nonconformists Act 1665, was an Act of the Parliament of England (17 Charles II c. 2), passed in 1665 with the long title "An Act for restraining Non-Conformists from inhabiting in Corporations". It was one of the English penal laws that sought to enforce conformity to the established Church of England, and to expel any who did not conform. It forbade clergymen from living within five miles (8 km) of a parish from which they had been expelled, unless they swore an oath never to resist the king, or attempt to alter the government of Church or State. The latter involved swearing to obey the 1662 prayer book. Thousands of ministers were deprived of a living under this act.

As an example, Theodosia Alleine and her husband Joseph Alleine were obliged to move to Taunton after her husband's conviction as a non-conformist. They moved, but they were still harassed and had to move and live with friends to escape their critics.^[1]

See also[]

• Conventicle Act 1664
• Religion in the United Kingdom
• Royal Declaration of Indulgence

References[]

Sources[]

• Hutton, Ronald (1989). Charles II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 228–229. ISBN 0-19-822911-9.
• "Charles II, 1665: An Act for restraining Non-Conformists from inhabiting in Corporations". Statutes of the Realm. 1819. p. 575. Retrieved 6 March 2007.