Swearing an Oath of Fealty, Loyalty or Allegiance could have been to King, Country, Church (cardinals swear fealty to the Pope), or even to an Organization. Soldiers would swear fealty to their leader before heading into battle, and the defeated would swear fealty to the new ruler.
In the traditional sense of swearing fealty to ones king, I can imagine my ancestor swearing fealty to William of Orange before the Battle of the Boyne.
I found a list of names of Oaths sworn at The George, Kingsbridge, 4 November 1723 before Courtenay Croker; William Ilbert, William Cholwich and John Fowell esqs.
This oath of fealty was taken during the local Quarter Sessions and administered by the justices of the peace.
Included on the list is one Thomas King of Loddiswell. This may be the father of my 5x great grandfather Thomas King who ran the mill in Loddiswell. Also a Dorothy King, widow (his grandmother?) There were not a lot of King surnames in Loddiwell in the 1700's, I just have no proof of relationship... yet! But it gives me something to go on.
Try looking in archives. I found a book which says that according to the Report of the Deputy Keeper of Public Records, in a box somewhere is a list of 300 names of barons and knights of Tarbe, Bigorro who signed the oath of allegiance to the King of England in 1362.
You can take a look at the Guide at National Archives UK.
Relevant Links
Devon and Exeter Oath Rolls, 1723
Reports of Deputy Keeper of Public Records - oaths of Tarbe, Bigorro 1362
Allegiance to His Most Sacred Britanick Majesty King George the Third (English and French)
(Oath only)
List of freemen, Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1630-1691: with freeman's oath
Names of Foreigners who took the oath of allegiance to the province and state of Pennsylvania, 1727-1775, with the foreign arrivals 1786-1808
Names of persons who took the oath of allegiance to the State of Pennsylvania, 1777-1789
Oath of Allegiance to King George III signed at Chippewa 1812
Oath of Allegiance Sworn in Bedford County, Aug - Nov 1777
Oath of Loyalty to Gustavus Hamilton, Fermanagh, Ireland
Patriots Oaths of Fidelity and Support - 1778
Oaths of Fealty & Acceptances website
I Swear! Historical Oaths of Fealty website
The Association Oath Rolls of the British Plantations (all over the world) 1696
Related Posts
L is for Loyalty (2016 A to Z Challenge)
The Day Thomas Took the Oath of Fealty
In New Hampshire there was no census in 1776, but the next best thing was the "Oath of Allegiance" signed by all men of age, stating whether they supported the patriot side, were against, or abstained (usually for religious reasons ie. Quaker). This is an invaluable list for research.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness there weren't as many men with the same name in those early days as later, when you find sons of sons of sons all with the same name!
DeleteInteresting. Such oaths of fealty were often taken in Spanish colonial St. Augustine, Florida, during the years 1784-1821. Those years are the focus of my research as a historian. On 12 and 13 July, 1784, the Italians and Greeks who had been workers on the plantation of Dr. Andrew Turnbull at New Smyrna, and the Minorcans who had also been workers there, pledged themselves to be "desirous of being recognized as natural-born subjects" and pledged to offer "themselves to the royal service." This was upon Spain re-taking possession of Florida, which had been in British hands from 1763 to 1784.
ReplyDeleteI probably have such oaths in my ancestry, as my 10th great-grandfather, Moses Packard, lived in Suffolk in the early 1600s. I have not come across any such, but I get so busy with my colonial Florida research, I don't take time for my own family history!
You have sure taken on an interesting project! I know what you mean, at times I have to set projects aside to focus on my family for a bit, all the while thinking of that project haha! I'm glad I did so my Mother got to enjoy the stories.
DeleteI checked out the list of people who took the freeman's oath to the Massachusetts Bay Colony and found a whole list of Browns, whom I must be related to, one way or 'tother. With all the swearing of oaths, I can't help but wonder how frequently loyalties shifted.
ReplyDeleteI imagine a lot of people swore allegiance to whoever was in power at the time, whether they believed in them or not.
DeleteThanks for visiting.
Here in the US, women wanting to join the Daughters of the American Revolution often use the Oath of Allegiance to prove their ancestor was a patriot. Following the Civil War, Confederate prisoners of war were asked to sign an Oath of Allegiance too. I have not tried to find the lists though.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to find out all about the place where my ancestor had to go to sign, and noticing the names of some of his neighbours, and finding other ancestors from other parts of Devon.
DeleteI knew I had written about it somewhere and I just found it - L is for Loyalty in the 2016 A-Z challenge...
DeleteA to Z Challenge - L is for Loyalty