Oaths of Allegiance in Colonial New England

by Charles Evans

as followeth,

I [Theophilus Eaton] being by the providence of God an inhabitant w^thim Newhaven Jurisdictiō, doe acknowledge myselfe to be subject to the goverm^t thereof, and doe sweare by the great and dreadfull name of the ever living God, to be true and faithfull vnto the same, and doe submitt both my person and my whole estate thervnto according to all the wholsome lawes and orders thatt for present are or hereafter shall be there made and established by lawfull authority, and thatt I will neither plott nor practise any evill agst the same, nor consent to any thatt shall so doe, butt will timely discover the same to lawfull authority here established, and thatt I will as I am in duety bounde, maintaine the hono^r of the same and off the lawfull magistrates thereoff, promoting the publique good of the same whilest I shall continue an inhabitant there. And whensoever I shall be duely called a free burgesse, according to the fundamentall order and agreem^t for governm^t in this jurisdictiō to give my vote or suffrage touching any matter w^ch concerneth this comō wealth, I will give itt as in my conscience I shall judge may conduce to the best good of the same w^thout respect of persons, So help me God in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he gave itt to all those whose names are herevnder written, [Two hundred and sixteen names.] [1644.]

In May, 1665, the Colonies of Connecticut, and New Haven were united as the Colony of Connecticut in New England.

Oath of Allegiance

Administered at New Haven, in May 1666, under powers granted by Governor John Winthrop, according to his Maj^ties Charter granted to this Colony of Connecticut in New England.

You J[asper] C[rane], doe sweare faith and Allegeance to his Maj^tie Charles y^e Second, as duty binds according to y^e word of God. And yo^u doe hereby acknowledge that the Pope, nor any other potentate hath powe^r or autority or iurisdiction in any of his Maj^ties dominions, and y^t only his Ma^tie our soverⁿ Lord King Charles hath under God, supreme power in his Ma^ties dominions. And I doe abhor y^e detestable opinion y^t the pope hath pow^r to Depose princes. And this I doe from my hart, soe help me God.

On the 31 October, 1687, Sir Edmund Andros, Knt. took over into his hands the government of the Colony of Connecticut in New England.

In Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

The settlement of Rhode Island by Roger Williams, being partly occasioned by his refusal to take either the Oath of Fidelity, or the Stranger’s Oath to the Colony of Massachusetts-Bay will account for the absence of all Oaths of Allegiance in the early history of the Colony which he founded. From the first settlement of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to the present time an Oath could not be required of any one; but in its place is required a property qualification and an Affirmation.