1747 British Army Mutiny & Desertion Act Printed by Thomas Baskett, Printer to King George II London, 1747

Description

1747 British Army Mutiny & Desertion Act

Printed by Thomas Baskett, Printer to King George II London, 1747

 

An original and increasingly scarce 1747 British Parliamentary Act issued during the reign of King George II, printed by the King’s Printer, Thomas Baskett, in London. Published during the opening years of the French and Indian War era, this official government work contains one of the most significant military statutes of the eighteenth century concerning discipline within the British Army.

 

Entitled “An Act for Punishing Mutiny and Desertion; and for the Better Payment of the Army and Their Quarters,” the legislation established the legal framework governing military conduct, prescribing penalties for mutiny, desertion, and other offenses while addressing the administration, payment, and quartering of British troops. Such annual Mutiny Acts were essential to maintaining the Crown’s standing army and played a vital role in military operations throughout the expanding British Empire, including North America in the years immediately preceding the French and Indian War.

 

The title page prominently displays the royal heading “Anno Regni Georgii II Regis”, together with the Royal Coat of Arms and publication information identifying Thomas Baskett as Printer to the King’s Most Excellent Majesty. This example consists of 20 leaves and remains an outstanding example of eighteenth-century parliamentary printing.

 

Original Parliamentary Acts from this period are increasingly difficult to locate, particularly those relating to British military law. Their direct connection to the administration of the British Army during the colonial era makes them especially desirable to collectors of Revolutionary War, French and Indian War, military, and legal history.

 

A remarkable survivor from the reign of King George II, this scarce official printing represents an important piece of British military and colonial history, documenting the legal foundation upon which the Crown maintained discipline within its army on the eve of the conflicts that would ultimately reshape North America.

 

Inventory Number: REV 073