The King's License to Eat Meat.

Upon the accession of the nine year old King Edward VI, his counselors sent out royal officers to do visitations to all of the major institutions of church and state. Each carried with it an itemized list of the topics to be addressed. The instructions began with:

Imprimis, In consideration that above and before all things such ways and means are to be sought for, whereby the people may learn to know their duties to God, their Sovereign Lord, and to one another;... ¹

This general preface was followed by dozens of other specific instructions, one of which was the following:

Item, Whether they have declared, and to their wits and powers have persuaded the people, that the manner and kind of fasting in Lent, and other days in the year, is but a mere positive law. And that therefore all persons, having just cause of sickness or necessity, or being licensed by the King's Majesty, may temperately eat all kinds of meat, without grudge or scruple of conscience.²

Edward's father, Henry VIII, had left most of the rituals of the Catholic church intact. In essence, he kept all of the Catholicity of the English church except for obedience to the Pope. Edward's Protectorate was dedicated to making the church Protestant.

It could only be a matter of time, however, before parliament would have to be called in order to set the country's budget in order. In exchange for revenues, the Protector, the Duke of Somerset, would have to consult the Commons about the decisions that had been made and disseminated as part of the visitations.

Somerset called Edward's first parliament on November 4, 1447.³ Henry VIII and prior parliaments had not been overwhelmingly protestant. That was about to change but only inasmuch as the circumstance would allow. The call in the King's name to put aside dietary rules during Lent and fasting days was not well received.

Nor would meatless days be dropped — regardless of Protestant protests — for centuries to come. England was an island nation. Many of its subjects made their living from fishing. The trade would be decimated if meat were allowed. Not only that, but England drafted fishing boats and crews into service in time of war. At this point in English history, its naval fleet was far too small to meet active wartime needs of the country without drafting all sea-worthy boats and hands into service.

Laws around meatless days were strengthened, instead:

[Lent and fasting days] were ordered to be observed in the usual manner, under penalties for each offence of a fine of ten shillings and ten days' imprisonment.⁴

Not that this was the end of the matter. The crown took to itself the prerogative to issue the following licenses.

Pro Carnibus edendis, de Licentia.

License to Eat Meat

REX omnibus ad quos, &c. Salutem. Sciatis quod Nos, De Gratia nostra speciali, ac ex certa Scientia & mero Motu nostris, necnon de avisamento & consensu Consiliariorum nostrorum, Licentiam dedimus & concessimus, ac per Praesentes Licentiam damus & concedimus, praedilecto & fideli Consiliario nostro. Johanni Comiti Warwici Magno Admirallo nostro Angliae, & Dominae Johanni Uxori suae, ac totae ipsius Familiae, ac omnibus (quotquot sunt) ad eundem Comitem vel dictam Uxorem suam accedentibus, quod ipsi, & totae ejusdem Comitis Familiae ubicumque fuerint, ac omnes alii ad eundem Comitem aut dictam Uxorem suam forsan accedentes, deinceps, durante Vita naturali ipsius Comitis, temporibus Quadragesimalibus & aliis Diebus Jejunalibus quibuscumque, Carnibus & Lacticiniis vesci libere & impune valeant & possint, aliquo Statuto Actu sive Proclamatione Constitutionibus aut Ordinationibus quibuscumque, in contrarium factis aut editis, seu imposterum fiendis vel edendis, in aliquo non obstantibus; Eo quod expressa mentio de certitudine Praemissorum, Actuque sive Statuto de Abstinentia a Carnibus, in Parliamento nostro apud Westm. Anno Regni nostri secundo tento, aliquove vel alio Actu sive Statuto nostro qualitercumque edito vel edendo, aut aliqua alia Re Causa vel Materia quacumque in aliquo modo nonobstantibus. In cujus rei , &c. Teste Rege apud Westmonasterium, decimo octavo Die Februarii. Per ipsum Regem.5

KING to all whom, &c. Greetings. Know that we From our special Grace, and from our sure Knowledge and mere Motion, as well as from the advice and consent of our Councillors, We have given and granted license, and by those present we give and grant license, to our chosen and faithful counsellor. John Earl of Warwick to our Grand Admiral of England, and Lady Joanne his Wife, and all his Family, and all (as many as there are) who are in the household of the same Earl or his said Wife, that they, and all the Family of the same Earl wherever they may be, and all others to the same Earl or his said Wife, perhaps those in her own household [should she keep one], thereafter, during the natural life of the Earl himself, during the times of Lent and other Fasting Days, may freely and with impunity eat meat and dairy products, and be able to, regardless of any Statutory Act or Proclamation Constitutions or Ordinances of any kind, made or issued to the contrary, or falsehoods made or issued, notwithstanding any of them; Because of the express mention of the certainty of the Premises, and the Act or Statute of Abstinence from Meat, in our Parliament at Westm. In the second year of our Reign, by any or other Act or Statute of ours published or issued in any way whatsoever, or any other Cause or Matter in any way whatsoever notwithstanding In whose matter, &c. Given by the King at Westminster, the eighteenth day of February [1550]. By the King himself.

Individual favorites of the King — via the Protector and council — were henceforth issued licenses to ignore the parliament's dietary statutes and to eat meat without penalty on what were meatless days for others. A few dozens of exceptions would make no meaningful difference for the fishing industry while it would more closely bind important allies to the crown.

Ironically, the bishops of Canterbury and of Ely received nearly identical licenses. Theirs did not include wives (Uxorem suam), however, which was likely a political hint. All did include all the licensee's “family wherever they might be” (toti ejus Familiae ubicumque fuerint).

1 Strype, John. Ecclesiastical Memorials (1822). II.i.74.

2 Strype, II.i.79.

3 Strype, II.i.72.

4 Froude, J. A. History of England from the Fall of Wolsey (1893). IV. 383-4. Citing, 2 and 3 Edward VI. cap. 19.

5 Rymer, Thomas. Foedera... Acta Publica (1741). VI.ii.181.

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