In
1797 the British Administration in Ireland made a
concentrated effort to break up the "illegal, seditious
and evil-disposed organisation known as the United
Irishmen". The previous year (1796) two bills were
passed in Parliament "The Indemnity Bill" and "The
Insurrection Act" which increased the powers of the
local magistrates. Also in 1796 power was given to
arrest suspected persons and to imprison them for an
unlimited period without charge. Under the Insurrection
Act the lord lieutenant, Lord Camden, was empowered to
proclaim any county to be "in a state of disturbance".
In May 1797 the country was placed under Martial Law and
parts of Leinster , including Carlow, were proclaimed as
being in a disturbed state. The magistrates now had
power to order searches, torture, curfew and to sentence
"idle and disorderly persons" to serve in the fleet.
Information was sought on illegal assemblies,
literature, posters, arms and strangers seen in any area
were to be reported.
In
Carlow the magistrates decided to administer an Oath of
Allegiance to King George the Third, as "a Test" under
an Act which had been passed in 1774. The original Oath
of nearly 400 words was tailored down by Carlow
magistrate Benjamin Bunbury to a mere 27 words in the
document displayed and transcribed below. The writing is
in the hand of Benjamin Bunbury who travelled about the
county from the 21st November to the 27th November 1797
to collect the "marks" and signatures of 97 "able
bodied" men in an attempt to commit them under sacred
Oath to be loyal to King George the Third and the Laws
of his Kingdom.
Most of the men recorded on the List claimed to be
unable to write, (although this may have been a ploy
with the same reasoning that de Valera adopted 130 years
later when in 1927 he declared the Oath of Allegiance to
King George the Fifth an "empty political formula"
because he refused to read it before signing?), (my own personal hunch!) one way or the other many of those who did subscribe
to Bunbury's List were , we can be sure, already sworn
members of the United Irishmen . It was said that many
took the Oath to the United Irishman with one hand and
the "oath" to the King with the other!. they became
known as "The Duplicators" but the reality for many of
them was that their true loyalty was to the United
Irishmen. We know this because out of over twelve
hundred names listed many of those named died during or
were executed or deported following the Rising of 1798.
We
can see from the Lists that Bunbury called to various
farmers on successive days and it appears that the farmer
lined up the men to take the Oath. Many would have been
coerced into signing, besides under the recently passed
Acts of Parliament if they refused they could be
arrested and imprisoned without trial . The zealous
Magistrate Bunbury collected over 400 names altogether
between 21st. November and 29th December 1797. (On 16th
December 1797 a French Fleet with 15,000 troops sailed
for Ireland but due to bad weather the mission was
abandoned). I hope to publish more of the Lists in the
future , they are an excellent census substitute for
researchers and a tangible reminder of "disturbed" times
in Ireland.
I,
A. B. do Take Almighty God and his only Son Jesus Christ
my Redeemer to Witness that I will be Faithful and Bear
True Allegiance to our most Gracious Sovereign Lord King
George the Third and him will Defend to the utmost of my
power against all Conspiracies and attempts whatever
that shall be made against his Person Crown & Dignity
and I will to my utmost Endeavours to disclose and make
Known to his Majesty & his Heirs all Treasons and
Traitorous Conspiracies which may formed against him or
Them and I do Faithfully promise to Maintain Support and
Defend to the Utmost of my power the Succession of the
Crown in his Majesty's family against any person or
Persons Whatsoever.
So
help me God