Sure it might have been technically, they were not on the ball at all though, in reality you can do what you wanted and you would be very very unlucky if you got caught by one of the few authorities.
Generally speaking though they had a lot more freedom for a lot longer than anyone else on the continent, that is especially true during the years that the philosophes battled the religion and won. Voltaire and the like.
I’m not so sure. It was a pretty reactionary period in Britain with harsh laws that prevented assemblies of more than 50 people, anti-union activities and a serious curtailment of freedoms that were put into law (The Treasonable Practices Act (1795), The Combinations Acts (1795-1800) and the suspension of Habeas Corpus (1798-1801). Anyone considered radical was rounded up and threatened - sometimes physically. Even poor old William Blake was arrested.
Sure it might have been technically, they were not on the ball at all though, in reality you can do what you wanted and you would be very very unlucky if you got caught by one of the few authorities.
Generally speaking though they had a lot more freedom for a lot longer than anyone else on the continent, that is especially true during the years that the philosophes battled the religion and won. Voltaire and the like.
I’m not so sure. It was a pretty reactionary period in Britain with harsh laws that prevented assemblies of more than 50 people, anti-union activities and a serious curtailment of freedoms that were put into law (The Treasonable Practices Act (1795), The Combinations Acts (1795-1800) and the suspension of Habeas Corpus (1798-1801). Anyone considered radical was rounded up and threatened - sometimes physically. Even poor old William Blake was arrested.