La Narrativa de Henry Fielding y la Sociedad Inglesa del Siglo XVIII

Persons disguised
and in arms
appearing in
forest, &c. and
killing deer, &c.
deemed felons.
La Narrativa de Henry Fielding y la Sociedad Inglesa del Siglo XVIII
The Black Act
Anno nono GEORGII I. C.22
An Act for the more effectual punishing wicked and evil disposed person going
armed in disguise, and doing injuries and violences to the persons and properties
of his Majesty’s subjects, and for the more speedy bringing the offenders to justice.
I. Whereas several ill-designed and disorderly persons have of late associate
themselves under the name of Blacks, and entered into confederacies to support
and assist one another in stealing and destroying a deer, robbing of warrens and
fishponds, cutting down plantations of trees, and other illegal practices, and have,
in great numbers, armed with swords, firearms, and other offensive weapons,
several of them with their faces blacked, or in disguised habits, unlawfully hunted
in forests belonging to his Majesty, and in the parks of divers of his Majesty’s
subjects, and destroyed, killed and carried away, the deer, robbed warrens, rivers
and fish-ponds, and cut down plantations of trees; and have likewise solicited
several of his Majesty’s subjects, with promises of money, or other rewards, to join
with them, and have sent letters in fictitious names, to several persons, demanding
venison and money, and threatening some great violence, if such their unlawful
demands should be refused, or if they should be interrupted in, or prosecuted for
such their wicked practises, and have actually done great damage to several
persons, who have either refused to comply with such demands, or have endeavoured
to bring them to justice, to the great terror of his Majesty’s peaceable subjects: For
the preventing of which wicked and unlawful practices, be enacted by
the King’s most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent
of the lords spiritual and temporal and commons, in parliament
assembled, and by the authority of the same. That if any person or
persons from and after the first day of June in the year of our Lord
one thousand seven hundred and twenty-three, being armed with
swords, fire arms or other offensive weapons, and having his or their
faces blacked, or being otherwise disguised, shall appear in any forest,
chase, park, paddock, or grounds inclosed with any wall, pale, or
other fence, wherein any deer have been or shall be usually kept, or in
any warren or place where hares or conies have been or shall be
usually kept, or in any high road, open heath, common or down, or
shall unlawfully and wilfully hunt, wound, kill, destroy, or steal any
red or fallow deer, or unlawfully rob any warren or place where conies
or hares are usually kept, or shall unlawfully steal or take away any
fish out of any river or pond; or if any person or persons, from and
after the said first day of June shall unlawfully and wilfully hunt, said
first day of June shall unlawfully and wilfully hunt, wound, kill, destroy
or steal any red or fallow deer,
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