Mischief by Fire Act 1724
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1724 c. 28 |
| Year | 1724 |
(11 Geo. 1) C A P. XXVIII. Anno Regni GEORGII Regis Magn Britanni, Franci & Hiberni, undecimo.
An Act for the better regulating of Buildings, and to prevent Mischiefs that may happen by Fire within the weekly Bills of Mortality, and other Places therein mentioned.
I Reciting the Acts 6 & 7 Ann. c. 31. for preventing Fire.
'I. WHEREAS by an Act made in the sixth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne , intituled,An Act for the better preventing Mischiefs that may happen by Fire ; it is, amongst other Things enacted, That from and after the first Day of May one thousand seven hundred and eight, all and every House and Houses, that shall be erected and built, either upon old or new Foundations in any Place or Places in and about the Cities ofLondon and Westminster , or other Parishes or Places comprized within the weekly Bills of Mortality, shall have Party-Walls between House and House wholly of Brick or Stone, and of two Bricks thick at the least in the Cellar and Ground Stories, and thirteen Inches thick upwards from the Foundation quite through all the Stories of each House, and eighteen Inches above the Roof, and that no Mundillion or Cornish of Timber or Wood under the Eves shall thereafter be made or suffered in any such new House or Houses, but that all Front and Rear Walls of every House and Houses shall be built of Brick or Stone, to be carried two Foot and a Half above the Garret Floor, and coped with Stone or Brick, under the Penalty therein mentioned: Andwhereas by another Act made in the seventh Year of the Reign of her said late Majesty (for making more effectual the said Act) it is, amongst other Things enacted, That from and after the first Day ofMay one thousand seven hundred and nine, all and every House and Houses that shall be erected and built, either upon old or new Foundations, in any Place or Places in and about the Cities of London and Westminster , or other Parishes or Places comprized within the weekly Bills of Mortality (except Houses on London-Bridge , and on the River of Thames below Bridge,) shall have Party-Walls between House and House, wholly of Brick or Stone (except Door-Cases, Windows, Lentils, Breast-Summers, Story-Posts and Plates) of two Bricks thick at least in the Cellar, and one Brick and a Half thick upwards to the Top of the Garret Floor, and all Gable-Ends to be one Brick in Length, and eighteen Inches above the Roof, and to have no Beams or Rasters lie or stand, or to be in the Brick Works of the Gable-Ends: And for preventing Suits about Differences in Party-Walls, it is therein further enacted, That all Party-Walls shall be built nine Inches on each Man's Ground, whether the old Party-Wall be Brick, Stone or Timber, and that the first Builder shall have Power to pull down the same, and build up the new Party Wall as aforesaid, and be paid by the Owner of the next House after the Rate of five Pounds per Rod, as soon as he shall have built the said Party-Wall; and for all Houses thereafter to be built, that do not yield the Rent of twenty Pounds per Annum more than the Ground Rent, to be lest to the Discretion of the Builders; provided, That all Party-Walls for the same be built with Brick: And whereas divers Doubts and Disputes have arisen upon the said recited Acts touching the Power of the first Builder to enter into the next adjoining House to shore and support the same, and at whose Expence, during the Time the Party-Wall shall be pulling down and rebuilding, as also touching what Proportions of the Charges of building Party-Walls ought to be born by the Owners and Occupiers of Houses, having different Interests therein, and other Doubts and Difficulties arising upon the said Acts, it is necessary to explain and amend the same, and to make the said Actsmore effectual,' May it therefore please your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That from and after the twenty-fourth Day ofJune one thousand seven hundred and twenty-five, all and every Person or Personswho shall erect or build, or cause to be erected or built, any House or Houses upon any old or new Foundation or Foundations, in any Place or Places in and about the Cities ofLondon and Westminster , or any Parish or Place comprized within the weekly Bills of Mortality, or within the Parish of Saint Marylabone and Paddington , or within the Parishes of Chelsea and Saint Pancras or either of them, in the County of Middlesex , (except Houses on London-Bridge and on the River of Thames below Bridge,) and who shall think it necessary to pull down any Partition-Wall between such House and the next adjoining House, shall (in case the Owner or...
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