Game Laws
Preserved but no longer current.
A survival of the forest laws imposed by William the Conqueror. Game licences were first issued in 1784. The seasons during which certain game might be shot were set out in the Game Act of William IV, 1831.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Game Laws” mean?
A survival of the forest laws imposed by William the Conqueror. Game licences were first issued in 1784. The seasons during which certain game might be shot were set out in the Game Act of William IV, 1831.
Is “Game Laws” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.