# Making of Bread Act 1757

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Act of the Parliament of Great Britain

Making of Bread Act 1757 Act of Parliament Parliament of Great Britain Long title An Act for the due making of bread; and to regulate the price and assize thereof; and to punish persons who shall adulterate meal, flour, or bread. Citation 31 Geo. 2. c. 29 Territorial extent Great Britain Dates Royal assent 20 June 1758 Commencement 1 December 1757[a] Repealed 15 July 1867 Other legislation Amends Assize of Bread and Ale Repeals/revokes Price and Assise of Bread Act 1709 Repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1867 Relates to Making of Bread, etc. Act 1800 Status: Repealed Text of statute as originally enacted

The **Making of Bread Act 1757** ([31 Geo. 2](/source/31_Geo._2). c. 29) was an [act](/source/Act_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) of the [Parliament of Great Britain](/source/Parliament_of_Great_Britain), which aimed to protect the making of [bread](/source/Bread) and punish those that [adulterated](/source/Adulterant) it, for the purposes of protecting [public health](/source/Public_health). It was introduced after a report accused [bakers](/source/Bakers) of using [alum](/source/Alum), [chalk](/source/Chalk) and powdered [bones](/source/Bones) to keep bread white.

## Background

Substitutes for bread; - or - [Right Honourables](/source/Right_Honourable), saving the loaves, and dividing the fishes by [James Gillray](/source/James_Gillray)

In [England](/source/England), the regulation of [bread](/source/Bread) was often a priority for the [English](/source/English_Government) – and later [British](/source/British_government) – [governments](/source/Government) since at least the thirteenth century. Prior to the mid-eighteenth century, selling underweight bread was a punishable offence, and thus sometimes stones were used to increase the weight of bread to avoid the regulation.

As white bread became preferable, so did the adding of alum. The concept that a [baker](/source/Baker) could add chalk or bone triggered a riot in [Manchester](/source/Manchester). Making white bread meant discarding part of the edible [wholegrain](/source/Wholegrain), and which was discouraged during times of food shortage.[1] Bakers in 1735 complained about the poor quality of flour they received. Traditionally an exporter of wheat, after 1750, England began importing it, with the consequence of rising prices of bread.[2]

The originating bill was introduced after a report accused bakers of using [alum lime](/source/Alum), chalk and powdered bones to keep bread white, and was passed and published in 1757.[3][4]

## The act

The act aimed to protect the making of bread and punish those that adulterated it.[4] It generally related to London, with the aim of changing people's behaviour in bread consumption. In order to persuade bakers to make and sell household bread, the act abolished the traditional White and [Wheaten grades](/source/Soda_bread).[2]

## Effects

The act had little effect on eating habits in [London](/source/London), with respect to bread, and people continued to prefer the old [Wheaten bread](/source/Wheaten_bread) to the new household type.[2]

## See also

- [Making of Bread, etc. Act 1800](/source/Making_of_Bread%2C_etc._Act_1800)

- [Assize of Bread and Ale](/source/Assize_of_Bread_and_Ale)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Start of session.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTECockayne2007100_2-0)** [Cockayne 2007](#CITEREFCockayne2007), p. 100.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPetersenJenkins2017102–105_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPetersenJenkins2017102–105_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPetersenJenkins2017102–105_3-2) [Petersen & Jenkins 2017](#CITEREFPetersenJenkins2017), pp. 102–105.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOB_4-0)** ["History of Bread - The Industrial Age (1700-1887)"](https://www.fob.uk.com/about-the-bread-industry/history-of-bread-antiquity/history-bread-industrial-age/). *Federation of Bakers*. Retrieved 27 November 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERhys-Taylor2020_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERhys-Taylor2020_5-1) [Rhys-Taylor 2020](#CITEREFRhys-Taylor2020).

## Bibliography

- [Cockayne, Emily](/source/Emily_Cockayne) (2007). [*Hubbub: Filth, Noise, and Stench in England, 1600-1770*](https://books.google.com/books?id=doETEAAAQBAJ&dq=Bread+1757&pg=PP100). [Yale University Press](/source/Yale_University_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-300-11214-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-300-11214-6).

- Petersen, Christian; Jenkins, Andrew (2017). [*Bread and the British Economy, 1770–1870*](https://books.google.com/books?id=jTErDwAAQBAJ&dq=making+of+bread+act+1757&pg=PA102). Routledge. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-85928-117-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-85928-117-8).

- Rhys-Taylor, Alex (12 May 2020). [*Food and Multiculture: A Sensory Ethnography of East London*](https://books.google.com/books?id=cEQHEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22gabriel+scally%22&pg=PT60). Routledge. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-000-18173-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-000-18173-9).

v t e Legislation of the Parliament of Great Britain Acts by year 1707 1708 1709 1710 1711 1712 1713 1714 1715 1716 1717 1718 1719 1720 1721 1722 1723 1724 1725 1726 1727 1728 1729 1730 1731 1732 1733 1734 1735 1736 1737 1738 1739 1740 1741 1742 1743 1744 1745 1746 1747 1748 1749 1750 1751 1753 1754 1755 1756 1757 1758 1759 1760 1761 1762 1763 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 1773 1774 1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 Acts by parliament and session 1 (1) 2 (1, 2) 3 (1, 2, 3) 4 (1, 2) 5 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) 6 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 7 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 8 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 9 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 10 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 11 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) 12 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 13 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 14 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 15 (1, 2, 3, 4) 16 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 17 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Acts by regnal year Anne 6 Ann. 7 Ann. 8 Ann. 9 Ann. 10 Ann. 12 Ann. 13 Ann. George I 1 Geo. 1. St. 1 1 Geo. 1. St. 2 3 Geo. 1 4 Geo. 1 5 Geo. 1 6 Geo. 1 7 Geo. 1. St. 1 7 Geo. 1. St. 2 8 Geo. 1 9 Geo. 1 10 Geo. 1 11 Geo. 1 12 Geo. 1 13 Geo. 1 George II 1 Geo. 2. St. 1 1 Geo. 2. St. 2 2 Geo. 2 3 Geo. 2 4 Geo. 2 5 Geo. 2 6 Geo. 2 7 Geo. 2 8 Geo. 2 9 Geo. 2 10 Geo. 2 11 Geo. 2 12 Geo. 2 13 Geo. 2 14 Geo. 2 15 Geo. 2 16 Geo. 2 17 Geo. 2 18 Geo. 2 19 Geo. 2 20 Geo. 2 21 Geo. 2 22 Geo. 2 23 Geo. 2 24 Geo. 2 25 Geo. 2 26 Geo. 2 27 Geo. 2 27 & 28 Geo. 2 28 Geo. 2 29 Geo. 2 30 Geo. 2 31 Geo. 2 32 Geo. 2 33 Geo. 2 George III 1 Geo. 3 2 Geo. 3 3 Geo. 3 4 Geo. 3 5 Geo. 3 6 Geo. 3 7 Geo. 3 8 Geo. 3 8 Geo. 3. Sess. 2 9 Geo. 3 10 Geo. 3 11 Geo. 3 12 Geo. 3 13 Geo. 3 14 Geo. 3 15 Geo. 3 16 Geo. 3 17 Geo. 3 18 Geo. 3 19 Geo. 3 20 Geo. 3 21 Geo. 3 22 Geo. 3 23 Geo. 3 24 Geo. 3. Sess. 1 24 Geo. 3. Sess. 2 25 Geo. 3 26 Geo. 3 27 Geo. 3 28 Geo. 3 29 Geo. 3 30 Geo. 3 31 Geo. 3 32 Geo. 3 33 Geo. 3 34 Geo. 3 35 Geo. 3 36 Geo. 3 37 Geo. 3 38 Geo. 3 39 Geo. 3 39 & 40 Geo. 3 41 Geo. 3. (G.B.)

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