{{Short description|Act of the Parliament of Great Britain}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Use British English|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Recruiting Act 1778 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of Great Britain |long_title = An Act for the more easy and better recruiting of his Majesty's land forces and marines. |year = 1778 |citation=[[18 Geo. 3]]. c. 53 |territorial_extent = [[Great Britain]] |royal_assent = 28 May 1778 |commencement = 20 November 1777{{efn|Start of session.}} |repeal_date = 26 November 1778 |repealing_legislation =[[Recruiting Act 1779]] |related_legislation=[[Recruiting Act 1703]] |status = Repealed |original_text = https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FcAuAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA117 }}
The '''Recruiting Act 1778''' ([[18 Geo. 3]]. c. 53) was an [[Act of Parliament (United Kingdom)|act]] of the [[Parliament of Great Britain]], which created a bounty system for [[volunteers]] and instituted [[impressment]] to recruit more soldiers for the [[British Army|Army]] and [[Royal Marines]]. The act received royal assent on 28 May 1778.
== Background == After the losses at the [[Battle of Saratoga]] in the [[American Revolutionary War]] and the apprehended hostilities with [[Kingdom of France|France]], the existing voluntary enlistment measures were judged to be insufficient.
== The act == It provided that each volunteer receive a bounty of £3, and that he should be entitled to discharge after three years unless the nation were at war.
It also empowered the [[justices of the peace]] to levy and deliver to the recruiting officers "all able-bodied idle, and disorderly persons, who could not upon examination prove themselves to exercise and industrially follow some lawful trade or employment, or to have some substance sufficient for their support and maintenance". A reward of 10s. was offered to the discoverer of any person liable within the provisions of the Act. Impressed men could demand discharge after five years, unless the nation were at war.
Geographically its operation was confined, by the direction of the [[Secretary for War]], to [[Scotland]] and to "the [[City of London]], the city and liberties of [[Westminster]], and such parts of the County of [[Middlesex]] as are within the Bills of Mortality". The chief advantage of this Act was in the number of volunteers brought in under the apprehension of [[impressment]].
== Repeal == The whole act was repealed by section 1 of the [[Recruiting Act 1779]] ([[19 Geo. 3]]. c. 10), which replaced that act.
==See also== * [[Recruiting Act 1703]]
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Bibliography == {{Refbegin}} * {{Cite book|last=Curtis |first=Edward |title=The Organization of the British Army in the American Revolution |year=1972 |publisher=EP |isbn=0854099069}} {{Refend}} {{GB legislation}}
[[Category:Great Britain Acts of Parliament 1778]] [[Category:Repealed Great Britain Acts of Parliament]] [[Category:British laws relating to the American Revolution]] [[Category:American Revolutionary War]]