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I who subscribe, do truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify and
declare, that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is, and of Right ought
to be, a free, sovereign, and independent State, and I do swear, that I will
bear true Faith and Allegiance, to the said Commonwealth,
and that I will defend the same against traiterous Conspiracies and
all hostile Attempts whatsoever: and that I do renounce and
abjure all Allegiance, Subjection, and Obedience to the King of
Great Britain--and every other foreign power whatsoever: And that
no foreign prince, person, prelate, State or potentate, hath or ought to
have any Jurisdiction, Superiority, pre-eminence, Authority--
dispensing or other power, in any Matter, civil, ecclesiastical, or spirit
-not within this Commonwealth; except the Authority and power which
is or may be vested by their Constituents in ye Congress of the United States:
and I do further testify and declare, that no Man or Body of Men--
hath or can have any Right to absolve or discharge me from the--
Obligation of this Oath, Declaration or Affirmation; and that I
do make this Acknowledgement, profession, Testimony, Declaration
Denial, Renunciation, and Abjuration, heartily and truly.__
according to the common Meaning and Acceptation of the foregoing Word:
without any Equivocation, mental Evasion, or Secret Reservation--
whatsoever. So help me God.

Hampshire ss

Sam Barnard Junr

Deerfield-April 8nd 1787-

 

Saml Barnard Junr

David Hoit

took and subscribed the Oath

 

above written before me -----------------David Saxton

Just. of Peace

 

David Sexton

Hampshire ss June 3rd 1788.

Jos Stebbins Junr

Wm Moore took & subscribed the

John Bardwell

oath above written before me

Seth Catlin

John Williams Justice of Peace

Joseph Barnard

   

Hampshire ss June 10th 1788. Aaron

Jonathan Arms

Marsh & Reuben Bardwell took

Wm Moore

& subscribed the above written Oath

Aaron Marsh

before me John Williams Justice of Peace

Reuben Bardwell

   

Hampshire June 30th 1788

 

John Williams took & subscribed the

John Williams

above written Oath and took the

 

oath of office as Town Clerk and as

 

an assessor-David Field Jus. Peace

 
   

Hampshire ss Deerfield June 30th

Samll Childs

1788. Messrs Sam Childs --Zur

Zur Hawks

Hawks --Abner Cooley --and

Abner Cooley

Aaron Arms Selectmen of sd

Aaron Arms

Town took & subscribed the above

David Saxton

written Oath.

 

Before me John Williams Town Clerk of}

 

Deerfield}

 

Hampshire ss Deerfield July 1st 1788

 

David Saxton Esqr. a Selectman of sd

 

Town Took & subscribed the Oath above

 

before me Jno Williams Town Clerk.

 
   

Hampshire ss Deerfield July 2d 1788

 

Mr Jona Arms Treasurer of sd Town took

Jonathan Arms

& subscribed the Oath above

 

before me Jono Williams, Town Clerk.

 
   

Hampshire ss Deerfield July 4th 1788

 

Mr Ebenr Wells Constable & Collector of

Ebenr Wells

Taxes for sd Town Took & subscribed the Above

Jno Bardwell

Oath before me John Williams Town Clerk.

Amzi Childs

   

Hampshire ss Deerfield July 14th 1788

 

Messrs Jno Bardwell & Amzi Childs

 

assessors for sd Town took & subscribed

 

the above Oath

 

before me John Williams Town Clerk.

 
   

Hampshire ss Deerfield March 2d 1789. Then

 

John Williams, Esqr. chosen Town Clerk for sd

John Williams T Clerk

Town Took & subscribed the above written

 

oath & took the oath for office before

 

me

David Saxton

Just of the Peace

   

Hampshire ss March 4th 1789 Then

 

John Bardwell who was chosen Town Treasurer

Jno Bardwell

and assessor & Capt. David Hoit who was

 

chosen assessor for the Town of Deerfield

David Hoit junr

severally took & subscribed the above Oath

 

before me John Williams Town Clerk of sd Deerfield

 
   

Hampshire ss March 6th 1789 Then

Jonath Hoit

Jonathan Hoit who was chosen an assessor

 

for sd Town this year. Took & subscribed the

 

above Oath--before me ----------------John Williams

Town Clerk of Deerfield

   

Hampshire ss. March 7th 1789 Then

Jona. Arms

Jonathan Arms who was chosen a Selectman

 

for the Town of Deerfield this year took & subscribed

the

above Oath----------------before me John Williams,

Town Clerk of Deerfield

   

Hampshire ss. March 19th 1789 Then-- Elihu Ashley

 

who was chosen Selectman & Constable for the Town

 

of Deerfield this year took & Subscribes the foregoing

 

Oath before me. John Williams, Town Clerk

Elihu Ashley

   

Hampshire ss. March 19th 1789.

 

Then Joseph Barnard who was

Joseph Barnard

chosen Selectman this year. took & subscribed the

 

foregoing Oath

 

before me John Williams

Town Clerk

Hampshire ss March 30th 1789

Joseph Stebbins Junr

Then Joseph Stebbins jr. who was chosen a Selectman

 

for the Town of Deerfield this year. took & subscribed

 

the foregoing oath before me.

 

John Williams

Town Clerk

Hampshire ss April 6th 1789

 

Then sd Mr Amzi Childs who was chosen a Selectman

Amzi Childs

for the year ensuing took & subscribed the foregoing

oath

before me John Williams

Town Clerk.

   

Hampshire March 1st 1790.

 

Then John Bardwell who was

Jno Bardwell

chosen Treasurer & assessor for the

Jonathan Arms

Town of Deerfield. Jonathan Arms

Joseph Barnard

chosen Selectman & assessor Jonathan

Joseph Stebbins Junr

Hoit assessor. & Joseph Barnard

David Hoit junr

Joseph Stebbins junr David Hoit junr

Elihu Ashley

& Elihu Ashley, Selectman for the

Jonathan Hoit

year Ensuing severally took & subscribed

 

the foregoing Oath before me.

 

John Williams, Town Clerk

 
   

Hampshire ss. March 2d 1790

John Williams

Then John Williams Esqr took and

 

subscribed the foregoing oath and took

 

the oath of office as Town Clerk for the

 

Town of Deerfield the year ensuing

 

before me

 

David Smead Just. Peace

 

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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label levels:

Oaths were taken seriously in the 18th and early 19th centuries. This document was used to make sure that newly elected members to a town's government thought and believed in a particular way. And when these new representatives swore their oath, people felt secure that they believed the things they swore to: few would have dared to violate a solemn oath such as this. This oath was drafted in the years after the American Revolution, when it was likely that someone in Deerfield, Massachusetts, would still have had allegiance to the King of England or who did not believe that Massachusetts should be a "free, sovereign" state. Each item in this oath was put there to prevent past or present enemies of the United States from serving on Deerfield's town government.

 

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Oath of Allegiance [Faith]

creator   Samuel Barnard, Jr. (1721-1788)
date   Apr 8, 1787
location   Deerfield, Massachusetts
height   35.0"
width   7.5"
process/materials   manuscript, paper, ink
item type   Public Announcements/Roster
accession #   #L02.140


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See Also...

Proclamation regarding Shays' Rebellion

Receipt of Caleb Phillips

Bill from Deerfield Selectmen for Military Supplies used in Shays' Rebellion


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