The Clergy Marriage Act 1551 (5 & 6 Edw. 6. c. 12) was an act of the Parliament of England. The act formally legalised the marriage of priests and legitimised their children. It voided all previous Catholic-imposed restrictions on clerical marriage but was subsequently repealed in 1553 during the reign of Mary I.
Subsequent developments The whole act was revived and made perpetual by section 8 of the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1603 (1 Jas. 1. c. 25), which came into force on 19 March 1604.
Section 4 of the act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1887 (50 & 51 Vict. c. 59), which came into force on 16 September 1887.
Section 2 of the act was repealed by section 56 of, and part I of schedule 2 to, the Administration of Estates Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 23), which came into force on 1 January 1926.
The whole act, so far as unrepealed, was repealed by section 1 of, and part II of the schedule to, the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1969, which came into force on 1 January 1970.
See also Marriage Act
Notes
References Halsbury's Statutes