Indemnity and Oblivion Act

The Indemnity and Oblivion Act passage through the Convention Parliament was secured by Lord Clarendon, the first minister of King Charles II and it became law on 29 August 1660 during the first year of the English Restoration.

Related Topics:
Convention Parliament - Clarendon - Charles II - 29 August - 1660 - English Restoration

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Act of Free and General Pardon, Indemnity, and Oblivion, to give it its full title, fulfilled the guarantee given in the Declaration of Breda that reprisals against the establishment which had developed during the English Interregnum would be restricted to those who had officiated in the regicide of King Charles I. It followed the Act of Pardon, which pardoned people for any acts of treason committed in the civil war.

Related Topics:
Declaration of Breda - English Interregnum - Regicide - Charles I - Act of Pardon

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The lands of the Crown and the established Church were automatically restored, but lands of Royalists and other dissenters confiscated and sold during the Civil War and interregnum were left for private negotiation or litigation.

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The act is often view from the perspective of those who were not not pardoned and thus condemned to death. However the debate in Parliament continued almost every day for over two months and names were added and taken off the list of those who were not to be Pardened. Initally there were only seven on the list to be exempted from the act{{ref|5_June}}{{ref|6_June}}. On 7 June the Common mindfull of the Declaration of Breda stated they as the commons could add to the list others who would not be covered by the general pardon. They immidatly added John Coke, Andrew Broughton, Edward Dendy and the "Two Persons who were upon the Scaffold in a Disguise"{{ref|7_June}}. On 8 June the Commons voted that "That the Number of Twenty, and no more, (other than those that are already excepted, or sat as Judges upon the late King's Majesty) shall be excepted out of the Act of general Pardon and Oblivion, for and in respect only of such Pains, Penalties, and Forfeitures, (not extending to Life) as shall be thought fit to be inflicted on them by another Act, intended to be hereafter passed for that purpos"{{ref|8_June}}.

Related Topics:
7 June - 8 June

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One of the people to benefit directly from the Act was John Milton who was released from prison.{{ref|milton}}

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