[Parliamentary Act]. An Act to Permit Persons Professing the Jewish Religion, to be Naturalized by Parliament

(ANGLO-JUDAICA)

Thomas Baskett

London

1753

Initial letter within richly historiated woodcut borders

Roth, Magna Bibliotheca Anglo-Judaica, p. 246, no. 3; Hyamson, Bibliography, no. 4

The Jewish Naturalization Act of 1753. In the year 1609 the naturalization of any foreigner settled in England was made contingent upon their acceptance of the Sacrament. Although this act was deliberately directed against Catholics, it incidentally would later affect Jews following their Readmission in 1653. This disability was lifted by the Whig Government in the Act of 1753 to permit persons professing the Jewish religion to be naturalized by Parliament. The Bill was, at best, of limited advantage to the Jews because practically speaking, only the very wealthy could obtain naturalization. See J. Picciotto, Sketches of Anglo-Jewish History (1956), pp. 75-86; and A. Hyamson, The Sephardim of England (1951), pp.127-8