Historical Timeline
A list of important dates/events in the history of Temperance & Alcohol Politics.
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The widely disobeyed Spirit Duties Act is repealed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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