Beerhouse Act 1840

The Beerhouse Act 1840 (3 & 4 Vict. c. 61) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was one of the Licensing Acts 1828 to 1886. It was the third Beerhouse Act. It was passed to amend the Beerhouse Act 1830 (1 Will. 4. c. 64) and the Beerhouse Act 1834 (4 & 5 Will. 4. c. 85). The change in the law required persons to have continued residence within the building that they were intending to use after an application for the issuing of a licence for the selling of alcohol, and that they be in possession of the deeds of ownership of the building.

The Act was passed to control the development of civil disorder (national evil) caused by those involved in activities resulting from the vice of intoxication, specifically of the people within the class of labouring workers in ale houses, so that in 1834 a select committee was created to investigate in order that measures of legislature might be created to limit this.

The Act was repealed by the Customs and Excise Act 1952 (15 & 16 Geo. 6 & 1 Eliz. 2. c. 44), s. 320(1) & Sch 12, Pt 1.