William Henry Egle’s seminal work, “Names of Foreigners Who Took the Oath of Allegiance to the Province and State of Pennsylvania, 1727-1775, with the Foreign Arrivals, 1786-1808” published in 1892, stands as a comprehensive record of immigrants who pledged their loyalty to both the British Crown and later to the State of Pennsylvania. The document lists names and details of individuals who, upon their arrival in America, were mandated to declare their allegiance—a legal requirement aimed at reinforcing loyalty to the provincial and state governance. The text not only catalogs these oaths but also provides vital genealogical data, including ship names, points of departure, and the dates of oath-taking. Despite the original documents being significantly damaged over time, this publication, authorized by the state, offers a meticulously collated and indexed reference that is indispensable for researchers and descendants seeking connections to their early Pennsylvanian ancestors.
The following list of foreigners who took the oath of allegiance to the crown of Great Britain and the Province of Pennsylvania, from the year 1727 to 1775, with those to the State from the close of the Revolution, have been in part printed. The originals in the possession of the Commonwealth having been badly mutilated by searchers for untold fortunes, it has been deemed advisable to publish the entire record under the authority of the State and the lists have been carefully compared and collated. To make the same of permanent value a complete index of surnames is given. In some few cases, the entire list of ships passengers is preserved with the ages of all. Originally these were furnished the proper authorities, but unfortunately one by one they have been abstracted.
Owing to the large influx of foreigners, especially German and Swiss, it was deemed advisable to compel all to take the oath of allegiance, which was at the first as follows:
I, A B, do solemnly & sincerly promise & declare that I will be true & faithfull to King George the Second and do solemnly, sincerly and truly Profess Testifie and Declare, that I do from my Heart abhor, detest & renounce as impious & heretical that wicked Doctrine & 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 what-late, State, or Potentate hath or ought to have any power, soever. And I do declare that no foreign Prince, Person, Pre-Jurisdiction, Superiority, Pre-eminence, or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within the Realm of Great Britain or the Dominions thereunto belonging.
I. A. B., do solemnly sincerly and truly acknowledge profess testify & declare that King George the Second is lawful & rightful King of the Realm of Great Britain & of all others his Dominions & Countries thereunto belonging, and I dosolemnly & sincerly declare that I do believe the Person pretending to be Prince of Wales during the Life of the late King James, & since his Decease pretending to be taken 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 the Realm of Great Britain, nor any other the Dominions thereunto belonging. And I do renounce & refuse any Allegiance or obedience to him & do solemnly promise, that I will be true and faithful, & bear true Allegiance to King George the Second & to him will be faithfull against all traitorous Conspiracies & attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his Person, Crown & Dignity, & I will doe my best Endeavours to disclose & make known to King George the Second & his Successors all Treasons and traiterous Conspiracies which I shall know to be made against him or any of them. And I will be true and faithfull to the succession of the Crown against him the said James & all other Persons whatsoever as the same is & stands settled by An Act Entitled An Act declaring the Rights & Liberties of the Subject, & settling the Succession of the Crown to the late Queen Anne & the Heirs of her Body being Protestants, and as the same by one other Act Entitled An Act for the further Limitation of the Crown & better securing the Rights & Liberties of the Subject is & stands Settled & Entailed after the Decease of the said late Queen, & for Default of Issue of the said late Queen to the late Princess Sophia Electoress & Duchess Dowager at Hanover the Heirs of Her Body being Protestants and all these things I do plainly & sincerly acknowledge promise & declare, according to these express words by me spoken, & according to the plain & common sense and understanding of the same Words, without any Equivocation, mental Evasion or Secret Reservation whatsoever. And I do make this Recognition, Acknowledgement, Renunciation & Promise heartily willingly and truly.
All males over sixteen years of age were obliged to take this oath and declaration, as soon after their arrival as possible – being marched to the Court House, although in a number of instances they were qualified at the official residence of the magistrate.
Notes About the Book
- Index is alphabetical only for the first two letters.
- Some pages ripped.
- No table of contents
Research Strategies
Hidden within this manuscript are the following details about your immigrant ancestor to Pennsylvania.
Which ship they arrived on.
From where that shipped set sail.
Date attached to each listing is the date they took the oath of Allegiance. Usually within days of arrival.
They were born at least 16 years before the day the Oath of Allegiance was sworn.
Even though females were not required to take the Oath of Allegiance, they may still be listed in the manuscript if they arrived on the same ship and the entire ship manifest was saved.
If you find your ancestor on the “original list” then they were boys under the age of 16, and did not need to take the Oath of Allegiance.
Source
Egle, William Henry, Names of foreigners who took the oath of allegiance to the province and state of Pennsylvania, 1727-1775, with the foreign arrivals, 1786-1808, Harrisburg, Pa. : E. K. Meyers, state printer, 1892.