1736

Spirit Duties Act (commonly known as the Gin Act of 1736) establishes retail tax on gin and annual licenses to curb gin consumption

 

1743

The widely disobeyed Spirit Duties Act is repealed

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1751                          

Sales of Spirits Act (commonly known as the Gin Act if 1751) is enacted to reduce the consumption of spirits by prohibiting gin distillers from selling to unlicensed merchants and increasing fees charged to merchants

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1829                           

First Temperance Societies formed in Scotland and Ireland

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1830

First Temperance Societies Formed in England

The Beerhouse Act liberalises regulations governing the brewing and selling of beer

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1832

'Entire Abstinence Pledge' drawn up by Joseph Livesey and signed by the Seven Men of Preston

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1833

Livesey and colleagues heralded 'The Reform' beyond Preston

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1834

Parliamentary Select Committee on Intemperance reported. Assigned chairman is James Silk Buckingham

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1835

British Association for the Advancement of Temperance founded

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1836

Thomas Whittaker and James Teare set out from  Preston as missionaries for 'The Reform'

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1837

Queen Victoria ascends the throne

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1839

Suppression of Sunday morning trading in public-houses in London by a clause in the Metropolitan Police Act

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1842-8

Sunday morning closing extended throughout England

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1847

The Band of Hope is founded in Leeds                         

 

1849-50

House of Lords Committee on Intemperance reported

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1850

Friends Temperance Union formed

Father Mathew's first visit to America

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1851

Introduction of the Maine Law, one of the first statutory implementations of the temperance movement in the United States

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1853

United Kingdom Alliance founded

John B. Gouch's first visit to Great Britain

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1854

House of Commons Select Committee on Public-Houses reported

1st edition of "Alliance" (Alliance News) published

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1855

National Band of Hope founded

National Division of the Sons of Temperance founded

James Silk Buckingham passes away

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1856

National Temperance League founded

the Sons of Temperance declare themselves for National constitutional prohibition

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1857

1st visit by Neal Dow to Great Britain

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1858                          

North of England Temperance League founded

Irish Temperance League founded

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1859

Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountains Association formed

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1860

Gladstone creates new Wine/Grocer's licence

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1862                          

1st Crystal Palace Temperance Fete held

Cruikshank's 'Worship of Bacchus' is 1st exhibited

Church of England Total Abstinence Society is formed

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1863                           

All day Sunday closing for England introduced into the House of Commons

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1864                          

1st Permissive Bill rejected

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1865                            

1st Temperance meetings of the Congregational Union and the Wesleyan Conference

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1867

1st Temperance sermon preached in Westminster Abbey

Reform Act extends male franchise

                       

1868

Joseph Malins establishes and founds the International Order of Good Templars

1869

Sir Wilfrid Lawson M.P. moved Permissive Bill in Commons

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1869

The Wine and Beerhouse Act brings licensing of beerhouses back under the control of local justices. Many beerhouses then close or are purchased by breweries and change to fully licensed public houses.

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1870

1st Temperance sermon is preached in St Paul's Cathedral

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1871

Home Secretary H.A.Bruce introduced comprehensive licensing bill which is later withdrawn

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1872                          

The Licensing Act incorporates regulative provisions of the 1871 Act

Roman Catholic League of the Cross formed

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1873

Royal Naval Temperance League formed

London Temperance Hospital opened

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1874                          

Licensing Act amends the 1872 Act

Baptist Total Abstinence Society formed

Good Templar Orphanage opened

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1876

Committee on Intemperance appointed by House of Lords, it reports in 1879

British Women's Temperance Association founded

British Medical Temperance Association formed

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1877                          

National Temperance Choral Union formed

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1878                          

Blue Ribbon Movement founded in England

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1880

Local option resolution carried in House of Commons

International Congress on Alcoholism held in Brussels

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1881                          

Sunday Closing (Wales) Act

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1882                           

UK Railway Temperance Union formed

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1883                           

1st meeting of Abstaining Mayors held at Guidhall

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1884 

Joseph Livesey passes away

National Temperance Federation formed

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1885                          

International Congress on Alcoholism held Antwerp

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1886                          

British and Colonial Congress held in London

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1888

C.T. Ritchie, President of Local Government Board proposed to transfer liquor licensing to County Councils and empower them to pay compensation for redundant licences

Proposal was withdrawn

Anglo-Indian Temperance Association formed

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1890                          

G. J. Goschen, Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed compensation for redundant licences

Proposal was withdrawn

 

1892                          

Army Temperance Association formed                     

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1896                          

1st Royal Commission on Licensing Laws appointed

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1899                          

Report on the Royal Commission on Licensing presented

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1898                          

Pioneer Total Abstinence Association founded

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1900                          

World's Temperance Congress held in London

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1904                          

Temperance Collegiate Association incorporated

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1906                          

House of Commons passed Licensing Resolution 271 for with 44 against

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1908                          

Asquith's Licensing Bill introduced, aimed to temper the nation's drinking habits. 

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1909                          

World Prohibition Federation formed in London International Congress on Alcoholism held in London

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1913                          

Temperance (Scotland) Act wherein voters in small local areas in Scotland could hold a poll to vote on their area remained 'wet' or went 'dry'

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1914                          

Defence of the Realm Act, pub opening times were restricted to noon–3pm and 6:30pm–9:30pm. The requirement for an afternoon gap in permitted hours lasted in England until1988 Licensing Act

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1915                          

Liquor Control Board appointed

Strength of Britain Prohibition Campaign

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1917                          

International Record, a publication by the World Prohibition Federation, is 1st published. It collects and disseminates anti-drink news from around the globe

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1920                          

1st Scottish Temperance Polls

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1924                          

Commonwealth Temperance League held in London

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1932                          

Centenary of Total Abstinence movement in England celebrated

Worker's Temperance League founded

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1934                          

International Congress on Alcoholism held in London

Centenary of British Temperance League

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1935                          

Centenary of International Order of Rechabites

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1937                          

Centenary of Western Temperance League

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1938                          

Opening of Alliance House, London

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1939                          

Death of Leif Jones, 1st Baron Rhayader

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1941                          

Death of Guy Hayler

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1942                          

United Kingdom Temperance Alliance founded

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1951                          

Death of Robert Wilson Black

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1952                          

Phillip Fothergill becomes President of UKA

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1966                          

The new Road Safety Bill is introduced. It set a limit of 80mg of alcohol in 100cc of blood and it became an offence to drive when over this limit

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1967                          

Breathalyser was introduced

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1972                          

Report of Errol Committee on Liquor Licensing

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1976                          

Licensing Act (Scotland) 1976

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1988                          

Licensing Act to modify the 1964 Act passed through

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1995                          

The Campaign Against Drink Driving (CADD) was formed   

                      

2003                          

UKTA becomes Alliance House Foundation                    Licensing Act 2003  

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2005                          

Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005

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