Corporation Act

Great Britain [1661]

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June 24, 2026

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The Corporation Act of 1661 was part of the Clarendon Code, a series of laws enacted in England during the ministry of Edward Hyde, 1st earl of Clarendon. The primary aim of these acts was to diminish the influence of Nonconformists, also known as Dissenters.1

Specifically, the Corporation Act stipulated that individuals must have received communion in a Church of England parish to hold municipal office. This act, along with others in the Clarendon Code, aimed to re-establish the dominance of the Anglican Church and limit the participation of those who did not conform to its practices in public life. While some restrictions were eased by the Toleration Act of 1689, the Corporation Act and other Clarendon Code statutes remained in effect until the 19th century.1

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Charles II
Restoration settlement
…a standing army, and the Corporation Act of 1661 allowed him to purge the boroughs of dissident officials. Other legislation placed strict limits on the press and on public assembly, and the 1662 Act of Uniformity created controls of education. An exclusive body of Anglican clergy and a well-armed landed…
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…a standing army, and the Corporation Act of 1661 allowed him to purge the boroughs of dissident officials. Other legislation placed strict limits on the press and on public assembly, and the 1662 Act of Uniformity created controls of education. An exclusive body of Anglican clergy and a well-armed landed…
Read More

United Kingdom
The Restoration
…of local government in the Corporation Act (1661) and then upon the clergy in the Act of Uniformity (1662) led to a massive purge of officeholders. Town governors were put out of their places, and nearly one-fifth of all clergymen were deprived of their livings. Authority in the localities was…
Read More
…of local government in the Corporation Act (1661) and then upon the clergy in the Act of Uniformity (1662) led to a massive purge of officeholders. Town governors were put out of their places, and nearly one-fifth of all clergymen were deprived of their livings. Authority in the localities was…
Read More