Gin · History · Short entry
Act encouraging distilling from corn (1690)
An English Act of 1690, early in the reign of William and Mary, encouraged distilling spirits from malted grain to use up corn and help farmers, and allowed anyone who paid the duties to distil.
1690
Statute 2 Will. & Mar. sess. 2 c. 9 set low duties on spirits from malted corn and opened distilling to any duty-paying person.
Why it mattered
Its preamble names 'the greater consumption of Corne and the advantage of Tillage'. Historians link it to the loss of French brandy after William of Orange's accession.
What the Act did
The Act's title promises "the Encourageing the Distilling of Brandy and Spirits from Corne", and its preamble aims at the making of "Brandy Strong waters and Spirits from malted Corne" for "the greater consumption of Corne and the advantage of Tillage". It set graded duties per gallon of low wines, lowest for spirits from malted corn, and allowed any person to distil who paid the duties. History Today links this liberalisation to the loss of French brandy imports after William of Orange's accession.
How it connects
Region
- event-in London
History
- precursor-of Gin Act of 1729
Continue exploring
- CountryUnited Kingdom97 entries in the atlas so far
- HistoryGin Act of 17291729
- RegionLondonLondon, United Kingdom
- StoryFrom juniper water to London ginSchiedam, the Dutch genever town, Netherlands
- StyleLondon gin (London dry gin)Legal category
- HistoryGin Act of 17361736
- HistoryGin Act of 175125 June 1751
- HistoryHogarth's Gin Lane (1751)1 February 1751