Hope Township oaths of allegiance
(1801-1806)
The following information, provided by Deb Wilbur, regarding the Oaths of Allegiance (1800 - 1806: York, Upper Canada) was taken from the introduction to an article in The York Pioneer, 1961; a publication of the York Pioneer and Historical Society: pages 20 & 21.
There were three oaths to be taken, the oath of allegiance to King George III, the oath of supremacy denying the authority of the Pope in Canada, and the oath of abjuration, which supported the claims of George III and his descendants to the throne of England, rather than those of the Stuart line. Those of the Mennonite and Quaker faiths were allowed simply to make a "Solemn Affirmation of Allegiance".
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
I, (name), do sincerely promise and swear, that I will be faithful, and bear true Allegiance to his Majesty King George: So help me God.
OATH OF SUPREMACY
I, (name), do swear, that I do from my Heart abhor, detest, and abjure, as impious and heretical, that damnable Doctrine and Position, that Princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope, or any Authority of the See of Rome, may be deposed or murdered by their Subjects, or any other whatsoever.
And I do declare, that no foreign Prince, Person, Prelate, State or Potentate, hath, or ought to have any Jurisdiction, Power, Superiority, pre-eminence or authority, Ecclesiastical or Spiritual, within this Realm: So help me God.
OATH OF ABJURATION
I, (name), do truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify, and declare in my Conscience, before God and the World, that our Sovereign Lord King George, is lawful and rightful King of this Realm, and all other his Majesty's Dominions thereunto belonging.
And I do solemnly and sincerely declare, that, I do believe in my Conscience, that not any of the Descendants of the person who pretended to be Prince of Wales during the Life of the late King James the Second, and since his Decease pretended to be, and took upon himself the Style and Title of King of England, by the name of James the Third, or of Scotland by the name of James the Eighth, or the Style and Title of King of Great-Britain, hath any Right or Title whatsoever, to the Crown of this Realm, or any other, the Dominions thereunto belonging; and I do renounce, refuse and abjure any Allegiance or obedience to any of them.
And I do swear that I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty King George, and him will defend, to the utmost of my Power, against all traiterous Conspiracies and attempts whatsoever, which shall be made against his Person, Crown, or Dignity. And I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to his Majesty, and his Successors, all Treasons and traiterous Conspiracies, which I shall know to be against him or any of them, and I do faithfully promise, to the utmost of my power to support, maintain and defend the Succession of the Crown against the Descendants of the said James, and against all other persons whatsoever; which Succession, by an Act entitled, "An Act for the further Limitation of the Crown, and better securing the Rights, and Liberties of the Subject", is and stands limited to the Princess Sophia, Electress and Dutchess Dowager of Hanover, and the Heirs of her Body being Protestants.
And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear, according to these express words by me spoken, and according to the plain and common sense, and understanding of the same words, without any Equivocation, mental Evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever. And I do make this Recognition, Acknowledgement, Abjuration, Renunciation, and promise, heartily, willingly and truly, upon the true Faith of a Christian: So help me God.
An example of an entry, this one taken by W. Willcocks, J.P.
No. 10. I, ELIAS SMITH Sen'r Merch't born in the Province of New York but now of the Township of Hope in this Province, light hair, grey eyes, about five feet seven inches high, sixty four years of age, having taken the Oath of Allegiance, and the other Oaths prescribed by law, do subscribe the same at York, this 12th day of April 1801.
Sworn before me the day and year above written
Will Willcocks
Elias Smith Sen'r
| Date | Person taking oath | Height | Hair colour | Age | Remarks |
| 30 Apr 1801 | DAVIS, George | 5'5 1/2" | sandy | 24 | |
| 03 May | TRULL, John | 5'5 1/2" | dark brown | 50 | Small cut on lower lip |
| 16 May | SOPER, Pelitiah | 5'8" | light brown | 35 | |
| 31 May | MARSH, Benjamin | 5'5 1/2" | dark brown | 29 | |
| 21 Jun | SOPER, Leonard | 5'11" | dark brown | 38 | |
| 21 Jun | WALTON, Nathan | 5'8" | dark brown | 28 | |
| 27 Jun | SMITH, John | 5'8" | dark brown | 45 | made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | GIFFORD, Ephraim | 5'10" | light brown | 25 | |
| 29 Jun | SOPER, Seth | 5'5" | dark brown | 32 | |
| 29 Jun | MERKLY, Christopher | 5'8" | sandy | 29 | |
| 29 Jun | BEDFORD, Jonathan, Jr. | 5'10" | red hair | 30 | A cut on the forehead |
| 29 Jun | MARSH, Samuel W. | 5'7" | light brown | 27 | |
| 29 Jun | BEDFORD, Paul | 5'8" | dark brown | 28 | |
| 29 Jun | WOOD, John | 5'7" | light brown | 32 | |
| 29 Jun | LOW, John C. | 5'8" | sandy | 36 | |
| 29 Jun | BORLAND, William | 5'7" | dark brown | 32 | A small scar on the left side of his nose |
| 29 Jun | HARRIS, Myndert | 5'7 1/2" | light brown | 52 | |
| 29 Jun | ODEL, Jacob | 5'7" | dark brown | 18 | made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | POTHER, John | 5'6" | dark brown | 23 | A scar on the forehead |
| 29 Jun | STEVEN, James | 6'2" | black hair | 40 | |
| 29 Jun | CRIPPEN, David | 5'9" | grey | 52 | made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | PARSONS, Chattwil | 5'9" | black | 50 | |
| 29 Jun | McKELVEY, Edward | 5'8" | black | 40 | |
| 29 Jun | WRIGHT, Wait | 5' 1/2" | dark brown | 42 | made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | CRIPPEN, Ishbell | 5'7" | brown | 18 | |
| 29 Jun | HOLCOMB, John | 5'8" | dark brown | 26 | |
| 29 Jun | STONER, Henry | 5'8 1/2" | brown | 22 | Mole on right cheek. Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | HASKILL, Jeduthan | 5'6" | sandy | 17 | |
| 29 Jun | HARRIS, Myndert, Jr. | 5'6" | sandy | 16 | |
| 29 Jun | CRIPPEN, Daniel | 5'9" | dark brown | 21 | Small scar on forehead |
| 29 Jun | HASKILL, Willi S. | 5'10" | light brown | 22 | |
| 29 Jun | O'FLANAGAN, James | 5'7 1/2" | sandy | 28 | Scar on left side of mouth |
| 29 Jun | STONER, John | 5'7" | dark brown | 55 | Deep hole in cheek. Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | STONER, Peter, Jr. | 5'3" | light brown | 19 | Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | STONER, Peter, Sr. | 5'5" | grey | 66 | Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | POTHER, Philip | 5'2 3/4" | dark brown | 49 | Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | ROSS, Alexander | 5'9 1/2" | dark brown | 25 | Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | HASKILL, Nathan | 5'7" | light brown | 46 | |
| 29 Jun | BEDFORD, Jonathan, Sr. | 5'7" | grey | 54 | Blind. Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | ASHLEY, Thomas | 5'6" | dark brown | 35 | |
| 29 Jun | RICHARD, Simon | 5'7" | a black man | 33 | Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | STEEL, David | 5'11" | a black | 36 | Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | WELLER, Gad | 6'1" | dark brown | 36 | |
| 29 Jun | MARVIN, Samuel | 6' 1/2" | black | 30 | |
| 29 Jun | YATES, John | 6' | light | 24 | |
| 29 Jun | FACER, Harry | 5'5" | light brown | 50 | |
| 29 Jun | VANDECAR, John | 5'5 1/2" | gray | 68 | Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | VANDECAR, Roelof | 5'5 1/2" | gray | 56 | Made his "mark" |
| 29 Jun | BALL, Sheduck | 5'6 1/2" | gray | 49 | Made his "mark" |
| 02 Apr 1802 | WATSON, William | 5'7" | black | 25 | |
| 26 Apr | ODEL, John | 5'7" | black | 40 | |
| 30 Apr | DAILY, Cornelius | 5'10 1/2" | gray | 51 | |
| 30 Apr | SMITH, Elias, Jr. | 5'2" | dk brown | 25 | |
| 04 Aug | COPP, John | 6' | dk brown | 22 | |
| 01 Jun | VANDECAR, John | 5'5" | black | 18 | |
| 01 Jun | BARNES, Hiram | 5'5" | dk brown | 28 | |
| 01 Jun | SMITH, Lotrop | 5'10" | dk brown | 21 | |
| 01 Jun | SMITH, Lotrop | 5'10" | dk brown | 21 | |
| 27 Aug 1804 | HAWKINS, James | 5'9 1/2" | dk brown | 46 | |
| 08 Dec 1806 | KIMBAL, James | 5'11 3/4" | black hair | 30 |
Peter and Barbara Bolton - Port Hope, Ontario
www.alivingpast.ca