Egyptians Act 1554
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An acte for the punishement of certayne Persons calling themselves Egiptians. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 1 & 2 Ph. & M. c. 4 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 16 January 1555 |
| Commencement | 12 November 1554 |
| Repealed | 21 July 1856 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | Egyptians Act 1554 |
| Repealed by | Repeal of Obsolete Statutes Act 1856 |
| Relates to | |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Egyptians Act 1562 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act for further Punishment of Vagabonds, calling themselves Egyptians. |
| Citation | 5 Eliz. 1. c. 20 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 10 April 1563 |
| Commencement | 11 January 1563 |
| Repealed | 24 June 1783 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | Egyptians Act 1554 |
| Repealed by | Egyptians Act 1783 |
| Relates to | Egyptians Act 1530 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Egyptians Act 1554 (1 & 2 Ph. & M. c. 4) an act of the Parliament of England regarding Romani and travellers within the realm. The act was passed to amend previous laws regarding the Romani people. The Egyptians Act 1530 did not cover Gypsies who were born in England or those who came to England by way of Scotland.
The act included fines on English people who were smuggling Gypsies into the country as a way to curb some of the illegal immigration. Punishments for Romani people caught in England were deportation on pain of execution. However, those who were no longer nomads and settled in one spot were not subjected to such legislation.
The primary objective of the law was to end the "naughty, idle and ungodly life and company", of Gypsies by either forcing them to settle down, exit the realm, or face potential death at the will of the Crown.