VPRS 1091 Oaths Book

Full description

As originally the Lieutenant Governor (1851 1855) and under the 1855 Victorian Constitution the ultimate executive power in the State is vested in the Governor as the representative of the Crown. Under the Constitution, this executive power is exercised through and with the advice of the elected Government and its Ministers, although prior to 1855, the Lieutenant-Governor had full executive authority.

This series contains a record of the oaths, including full texts, which had to be sworn by the civil officers of the Government. Until 1858 when a simplified Oath of Allegiance was introduced by Act of Parliament, these consisted of the Oath of Allegiance (to Queen Victoria), the Oath of Supremacy (forswearing any allegiance to a foreign power), the Oath of Abjuration (swearing to uphold the Protestant religion and deny the Stuart claim to the British throne) and a Declaration to protect and defend the established Church of England. A special oath was to be taken for those of Roman Catholic religion.

Officers taking Oaths and declarations signed the book, gave their office under the Crown and the date of the taking and subscribing the oaths and Declaration.