The Burying in Woollen Acts 1666–80 were acts of the Parliament of England (citation 18 & 19 Cha. 2. c. 4 (1666), 30 Cha. 2. c. 3 (1678) and 32 Cha. 2. c. 1 (1680) ) which required the dead, except plague victims and the destitute, to be buried in pure English woollen shrouds to the exclusion of any foreign textiles.

Enforcement

It was a requirement that an affidavit be sworn in front of a justice of the peace (usually by a relative of the deceased), confirming burial in wool, with the punishment of a £5 fee for noncompliance. Burial entries in parish registers were marked with the word "affidavit" or its equivalent to confirm that affidavit had been sworn; it would be marked "naked" for those too poor to afford the woollen shroud. The legislation was in**** force until the passing of**** the **** (54 Geo.**** 3.**** c.**** 108), but was generally ignored after 1770****.**** The 1666 act had been annulled by the passing of the 1688 act; it was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c. 125).

Use in genealogy

Burial records so annotated can be a source of genealogical information, providing evidence of economic status and relationships that may be otherwise unavailable or ambiguous.