Among the manuscripts held by the Baldwin Room of the Toronto Public Library are two volumes containing the names of early settlers to Upper Canada who took their Oaths before William Willcocks in 18OO-1806 and Robert Baldwin in 18OO-1812. Three oaths were required before a settler could obtain the patent to his land: the Oath of Allegiance, of Supremacy and of Abjuration. The text of these oaths can be seen in the original documents. Men whose religion prohibited the swearing of these Oaths made, instead, a "Solemn Affirmation of Allegiance". The format of the two lists is different but both provide details as to the age, size and appearance of the applicant. Most of the names on the Baldwin list were of settlers from townships in Durham County, although a few were from Whitby and Pickering. The Willcocks manuscript, while not always specifying the applicants' present location, does provide details of where they originated. With the exception of the first page of the Baldwin oaths, it would appear that in each case, the applicant had written his own name, or where necessary signed with an X. As with many old documents, interpreting the hand writing is not easy, and can lead to differences in interpretation. In the Baldwin document particularly, I have used my familiarity with the census and land books of Hope Township to assist in deciphering some of the names. It should be noted that in this document the dates are not always in order. I have adapted the format to fit the requirements of my computer, and have not indicated the page breaks as they exist in the original. Other than these adjustments I have tried to maintain the spelling of names and places as they appear in the documents. Both these lists have been printed previously in genealogical journals. The Baldwin list appeared in the Spring issue of Families (formerly the Bulletin) in 1969. The Willcocks manuscript was printed in two parts in the York Pioneer 1961 and 1963, and I have relied primarily on their interpretation of that manuscript in compiling this booklet. I would like to acknowledge the kind permission of the Toronto Public Library for allowing me to copy these manuscripts. I am especially grateful to Christine Mosser of the Library staff for taking the time to read my original transcription of the Baldwin papers. Thanks to her assistance the final version is both more complete and more accurate. Phyllis H. White
Peter and Barbara Bolton - Port Hope, Ontario |