Statute Law Repeals - Law Commission - Ministry of Justice

7.4 In 1711 Manuel Henriquez of Amsterdam was entitled to a share in the Million
Lottery by virtue of his holding of 32 tickets. Fourteen of the 32 tickets were sent
to him but were received by Peter and Peire Henriquez, who subsequently were
ordered by the court of chancery to hand them over. Manuel authorised Sir
William Hodges as his appointed attorney to receive the moneys due on the 14
tickets, but the lottery paymaster refused to make payment without statutory
authority.
7.5 The Million Lottery Tickets Act 1711 4 authorised the lottery paymaster to pay Sir
William the half-yearly payments (of £250) due on the tickets for the benefit of
Manuel and, on receipt of the moneys (and in accordance with his own
recognisance), Sir William, or his heir, was then required to make payment to
such persons who could show good title to the sums. The Act time-limited the
payments by Sir William to six months from the end of the current parliamentary
session. On that basis the statute is long since spent.
Macklin’s Lottery
7.6 Thomas Macklin was a London print seller and art dealer. Having sold
subscriptions for a new illustrated folio Bible he then needed to sell his existing
collection of modern paintings in order to fund the project’s production.
7.7 The Thomas Macklin’s Paintings Act 1797 5 authorised Macklin, who was known
for his encouragement of artists in painting and engraving and for raising “the
celebrity of the English school” in this field, to dispose of his collection (some 96
scheduled works of art) by the sale of 2,400 lottery tickets. This was to raise a
maximum sum of £12,600. Pending the draw (through the state lottery
mechanism), the paintings were to be held by trustees.
7.8 Although Macklin gave notice of the lottery in the London Gazette in July 1797
(just ahead of the statutory deadline) he was unable to hold the lottery until the
deadline had passed. By February 1798 he had only been able to sell one-sixth
of the total number of tickets. The Macklin’s Lottery Act 1798 6 extended the time
limit and provided that the prizes were to be determined by the next state lottery,
and that tickets already issued either were to be honoured or could be sold back.
7.9 Macklin’s Lottery was held in 1799. Although the 1797 Act was later repealed the
expired 1798 Act was overlooked. It is now obsolete.
Pigot and Fisher Diamond Lottery
7.10 In 1775 George Lord Pigot bequeathed the Pigot Diamond (which was then
valued a little short of £30,000, and was the equal of any known diamond in
Europe) in thirds: to his brothers Sir Robert and Vice-Admiral Hugh Pigot, and to
his widowed sister Margaret Fisher. Sir Robert subsequently died and the onethird
share passed to his son Sir George. Vice-Admiral Hugh died in 1793 and his
interest passed to his widow Frances Pigot.
4
10 Ann. c.27 (1711). The chapter number is given in italic arabic numerals because the
1711 statute was a private Act.
5 37 Geo.3 c.133 (1797), repealed in 1948.
6 38 Geo.3 c.iii (1798).
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