The 1723 oaths of allegiance, supremacy and abjuration
List of Thorncombe residents who swore the oaths of allegiance to King George I at The School House, Axminster, on the 30th of September, 1723, before John Drake bart, Francis Gwyn and Richard Hallet esqs and at The Golden Lyon, Colyton, on the 1st of October 1723 before William Poole bart and Robert Stuckey esq.
Allegiance
I A.B. do sincerely promise and swear, That I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to his Majesty King GEORGE.
So help me God.
Supremacy
I A.B. 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 murthered 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.
Abjuration
I A.B. 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 and Countries thereunto belonging. And I do solemnly and sincerely declare, That I do believe in my Conscience, that the Person pretended to be Prince of Wales, during the Life of the late King JAMES, and since his Decease pretending to be, and taking upon himself the Stile 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 Stile and Title of King of Great Britain, hath not any Right or Title whatsoever to the Crown of this Realm, or any other the Dominions thereto belonging: And I do renounce, refuse, and abjure any Allegiance or Obedience to him. 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 him the said James, and all other Persons whatsoever, which Succession, by an Act, intituled, 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, Electoress 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 Reversion 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.
1. Axminster
Henry Allin [Marked]
Joseph Beeding [Marked "J"]
Edward Bragg [Marked "B"]
Elizabeth Bragg (Bragge) [Signed]
John Bragg [Signed]
Thomas Bragg [Marked]
Thomas Broughton [Marked "B"]
William Bryan (Bryen) [Marked]
John Chick [Marked]
Robert Cogan [Signed]
Alexander Cook [Signed]
Thomas Cook [Signed]
Robert Forssy (Forsy) [Marked "R"]
William Forsey [Signed]
Moses Fossey (Fosey) [Signed]
John Fowler (Fowller) [Signed]
Robert Fowler [Marked "RF"]
Mathew French [Marked "MF"]
Richard French [Signed]
Dorcas Greenfield [Marked "DG"]
John Hallett [Signed]
Walter Hallett [Marked "WH"]
William Hallett [Marked "H"]
John Heybal [Marked "H"]
Richard Hillary [Signed]
Hannah Hitchcock [Marked "HH"]
John Hodder [Marked "JH"]
John Hodder [Marked "H"]
Marmaduke Jess [Signed]
John Lane [Signed]
Samuel Lock [Signed]
Aaron Loveridge [Marked "AL"]
William Mitchell [Signed]
Richard Nossitor [Marked "RN"]
Martha Owsley [Marked "M"]
Richard Palfry [Marked]
John Palmer [Marked "JP"]
Robert Perham [Marked "R"]
John Pinney [Signed]
William Rapsey [Signed]
Thomas Russell [Marked "TR"]
John Sheppard [Signed]
John Sheppard [Marked "JS"]
Elizabeth Shute (Shut) [Signed]
Henry Smith [Not signed]
Thomas Smith [Signed]
Abraham Sprake [Marked "AS"]
Thomas Sprake [Marked "TS"]
Mary Starke [Marked "MS"]
Oliver Trencherd [Signed]
John Turner [Signed]
Thomas Wakely [Signed]
Samuel Wakely [Signed]
William Walter [Signed]
Mary Watts [Marked "MW"]
Penelope Woolrych [Marked]
Thomas Wakely [Marked "W"]
Martha [Surname unclear] [Not signed]
2. Coylton
Samuel Hawker of Thorncombe [Signed]
Timothy Hawker of Thorncombe [Marked "H"]
John Hitchcock of Thorncombe [Signed]
Elizabeth Norman of Thorncombe [Marked]
Lawrence Phelp of Thorncombe [Signed]
William Stuckey of Thorncombe [Signed]
John Trenchard of Thorncombe [Signed]
Note: all persons, male and female, above the age of 18 were expected to swear the oath, or else register their estates with the courts. Allowances were made for Quakers: instead of swearing an oath, which was contrary to the tenets of their religion, they were permitted to make an affirmation of loyalty. Compliance in Devon was about 20%, but there is no evidence that non-jurors were penalised.
To consult the full list, please see document ref: QS17/2/2/18 at the Devon Archives.