The English Year before and after 31 December 1751 | Quakers in Britain

The English Year before and after 31 December 1751

Up to and including 1751 the Julian calendar was used in England, Wales, Ireland and
the British colonies overseas. In these places the year officially began on 25 March
(Lady Day) and ended on the following 24 March. So, confusingly to us, 24 March 1750
was followed the next day by 25 March 1751.

With 1752 the law changed:
"Chesterfield's Act" (24 Geo II c.23), passed the previous year, laid down that in future
the English year would begin on 1 January. Thus the year 1751 began on 25 March
1751 and ended on 31 December 1751, which was immediately followed by 1 January
1752.

In Scotland the Gregorian calendar had been in use, with a year which did begin on 1
January. There is a further difference (related to leap years) between the Julian and
Gregorian calendars, which meant that by 1752 the Julian calendar was twelve days
behind the Gregorian one. Chesterfield's Act had therefore laid down that, in 1752, 2
September should be followed by 14 September. (For a fuller account, see
C.R.Cheney, ed., Handbook of dates for students of English history, Royal Historical
Society, 1948.)

Quakers in Britain |

https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/quaker-calendar-lib-guide