Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542
[2] Chief administrator to the English crown Thomas Cromwell, brought forward Acts to unify Wales with England.The preamble of the Acts suggests that legal differences in Wales led to discontent, which the English establishment wished to end.The aim of the acts were to incorporate Wales into what Henry VIII of England saw as part of his Tudor Empire, with himself as sovereign ruler.[6][7][8] The Laws in Wales Act 1535 was passed in 1536 in the 8th session of Henry VIII's 5th parliament, which began on 4 February 1535/36,[6] and repealed with effect from 21 December 1993.[2] Although the poor people of Wales may not have been aware of the laws, the measures were popular with the Welsh gentry who saw the acts as bringing legal equality with English citizens.