The Penal Laws

After the Cromwellian and Jacobite Wars, the English government were determined to prevent any further Irish resistance, and enacted a series of savagely anti-Catholic laws.......

7 Will III c.5 (1695):
An Act for the better securing the government, by disarming papists
Sec. 10. No papist shall be capable of having or keeping for his use, any horse, gelding or mare of five pounds value. Any protestant who shall make discovery under oath of such horse, shall be authorized with the assistance of a constable, to search for and secure such horse and in case of resistance to break down any door. And any protestant making such discovery and offering five pounds five shillings to the owner of such horse, in the presence of a justice of the peace or chief magistrate, shall receive ownership of such horse as though such horse were bought in the market overt.

8.01
7 Will III c.14 (1695):
An Act declaring which days in the year shall be observed as holy-days
Sec. 1. Whereas many idle persons refuse to work at their lawful calling on several days in the year, on pretence that the same is dedicated to some saint, or pretended saint, for whom they have or pretend to have reverence, and chuse to spend such days in idleness, drunkenness, and vice, to the scandal of religion, no other day except those days listed herein, or some other day set apart by order of his Majesty, shall be kept holy. Any common labourer or servant who shall refuse to work for the usual and accustomed wages on any other day, shall forfeit two shillings on conviction. If such offender fail to pay the fine, he shall be publickly whipped.

9 Will III c.1 (1697):
An Act for banishing all papists exercising any ecclesiastical jurisdiction and all regulars of the popish clergy...
Sec. 1. Whereas it is notoriously known, that the late rebellions in this kingdom have been promoted by popish bishops and other ecclesiastical persons of the popish religion.....all popish archbishops, bishops, vicars-general, deans, jesuits, monks, friars, and all other regular popish clergy shall depart out of this kingdom before the 1st day of May, 1698, and if any of said ecclesiastical persons shall after that day be in this kingdom, they shall suffer imprisonment, and remain in prison until transported out of his Majesty's dominions, wherever his Majesty or the chief governors of this kingdom shall see fit, and if any person so transported shall return, he shall be guilty of high treason.

9 Will III c.3 (1697):
An Act to prevent Protestants intermarrying with Papists Sec. 1 cont.
...And such protestant woman so marrying, and the husband as she shall so marry, shall be incapable of being heir, executor or guardian to any protestant.

7.04 2 Ann c.6 (1703):
An Act to prevent the further Growth of Popery
Sec. 10. All lands owned by a papist, and not sold during his lifetime for valuable consideration, really and bona fide paid, shall descend in gavelkind, that is to all of his sons, share and share alike, and not to the eldest son only, and lacking sons, to all his daughters, and lacking issue, to all kin of the papist's father in equal degree, etc.

7.06 2 Ann c.6 (1703):
An Act to prevent the further Growth of Popery
Sec. 12. If the eldest son or heir at law of a papist be a protestant at the time of the decease of such papist, the lands of the papist shall descend to that eldest son ....
(Or) if that eldest son or heir at law become a protestant within one year after the decease of such papist, he shall be entitled to the real estate of such papist....

2 Ann c.6 (1703):
An Act to prevent the further Growth of Popery
Sec. 23 and 28. No papists shall take or purchase any house or tenement or inhabit the cities of Limerick and Galway, or the suburbs thereof, and all papists now inhabiting said cities or suburbs, shall before the 24th of March next ensuing before the chief magistrate become bound to her Majesty with two sufficient sureties, in a reasonable penal sum to be set by the chief magistrate, sheriff or recorder, with condition of faithfully bearing himself toward her Majesty, and in default of giving such security, such papists shall depart from the said city before the 24th of March, 1705.

2 Ann c.6 (1703):
An Act to prevent the further Growth of Popery
Sec. 26. Whereas the superstitions of popery are greatly increased by the pretended sanctity of places, especially of a place called St. Patrick's Purgatory in the county of Donegal, and of wells to which pilgrimages are made by vast numbers, all such meetings and assembles shall be adjudged riots, and unlawful assemblies, and punishable as such, and all sheriffs, justices of the peace and other magistrates shall be diligent in putting the laws against offenders into due execution.

2 Geo I c.10 (1715):
An Act to Restrain Papists from being High or Petty Constables,...
Sec. 1. ...no person of the popish religion shall be high constable in any county, barony, or half-barony, or petty constable in any manor, ward, parish, constable-wick, or place within this kingdom.

2 Geo I c.9 (1715):
An Act to make the Militia of this Kingdom more useful
Sec. 4. Whereas the number of papists are very considerable in this kingdom, and it has been found that they have occasioned frequent rebellions, papists shall pay double the sum paid by protestants for support of the militia.

2 Geo I c.9 (1715):
An Act to make the Militia of this Kingdom more useful
Sec. 11.12. Whenever the chief governors of the kingdom think it necessary for the peace and safety of the kingdom, they may authorize sheriffs and other civil officers to seize any horses belonging to any papist and fit to be employed by the militia (except breeding mares, stallions, and horses under 4 years), and hold them for 10 days, during which any militia officer may acquire the same on tender of 5 pounds, less the cost of seizing and holding the same. If no such sum is offered , the horses shall be returned to the owners who must pay for the costs of seizing and keeping the same. And any papist who shall not deliver such horse as required, or in whose possession any arms are found, shall pay the sum of 10 pounds, one half to the informer, the other to the use of the militia.

1 Geo II c.9 (1727):
An Act for the further regulating the Election of Members of Parliament;
Sec. 7. No papist, though not convicted as such, shall be intitled to vote at the election of any member to serve in parliament, or at the election of any magistrate for any city or other town corporate.

7 Geo II c.5 (1733):
An Act for the Amendment of the Law in relation to Popish Solicitors; ...
Sec. 2. No person may be admitted as an attorney or licensed as a solicitor who has not been a protestant from 14 years of age....

7 Geo II c.6 (1733):
An Act to prevent Persons converted from the Popish to the Protestant Religion, ... from acting as Justices of the Peace.
Sec. 1. No convert from the popish to the protestant religion shall be capable of acting as a justice of the peace if his wife is papist, or if he causes his children under the age of 16 years to be educated in the popish religion....