Calendar (New Style) Act 1750
The Calendar (New Style) Act 1750 (24 Geo. 2. c. 23), also known as Chesterfield's Act or (in American usage) the British Calendar Act of 1751, is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain. Its purpose was for Great Britain and the British Empire to adopt the Gregorian calendar (in effect). The Act also rectified other dating anomalies, such as changing the start of the legal year from 25 March to 1 January.
| Act of Parliament | |
Parliament of Great Britain | |
| Long title | An Act for regulating the Commencement of the Year, and for correcting the Calendar now in Use. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 24 Geo. 2. c. 23 |
| Introduced by | Lord Chesterfield |
| Territorial extent | "In and throughout all his Majesty's dominions and countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America" |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 22 May 1751 |
| Commencement | 1 January 1752 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by |
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Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Act elided eleven days from September 1752. It ordered that religious feast days be held on their traditional dates – for example, Christmas Day remained on 25 December. (Easter is a moveable feast: the Act specifies how its date should be calculated.) It ordered that civil and market days – for example the quarter days on which rent was due, salaries paid and new labour contracts agreed – be moved forward in the calendar by eleven days so that no-one should gain or lose by the change and that markets match the agricultural season. It is for this reason that the UK personal tax year ends on 5 April, being eleven days on from the original quarter-day of 25 March (Lady Day).