Popery Act

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An Act to prevent the further Growth of Popery (commonly known as the Popery Act or the Gavelkind Act. ) was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of Ireland passed in 1703 and amended in 1709, one of a series of penal laws against Roman Catholics.

The aim was to ensure that, when a Catholic died, his estate was divided equally among his sons, unless the eldest son converted to the protestant faith whereby he could inherit all the land. The law was intended to reduce the size, and therefore influence, of Catholic landed estates.

Its citation is 2 Ann c.6.

Catholic land holdings:

1688: 25% of land
1704: 14% of land
1776: 5% of land

Popery Act

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See also