Notary, I have Granted these Presents to serve and avail the said James Barbot and Mary his wife, in Time and Place convenient, London, the 20th of July 1696, and in the Eighth year of His Majesties reign.
“In testimonium Veritatis signo meo manuali solito signavi et Tabellionatûs mei sigillum apposui rogatus.
Notrius Pubcus Angl. & Hyb.”
Naturalization by a private Act of Parliament could be attested either by reference to the Rolls of Parliament or by the possession of a printed copy of the Act. I can give my readers a copy of the enacting portion of such an Act, (the preamble, which stated that the Act had been applied for by the persons named, I have lost).
****“Be it enacted and ordained by the authority aforesaid, that they the said Henry Boisrond de St Leger, John Cottin and others shall be and are hereby enabled and adjudged able to all intents, purposes, and constructions whatsoever, to inherite and be inheritable and inherited, and to demand, challenge, ask, take, retain, have and enjoy all or any mannors, lands, tenements and hereditaments, goods, chattels, debts, estates, and all other priviledges and immunities benefit and advantage in law or equity belonging to the liege people and natural born subjects of this kingdom, and to make his or their resort or pedigree as heire to his or their ancestors lineal or collateral by reason of any remainder, descent, reverter, right or title, conveyance, legacy or bequest what- soever, which hath, may, or shall from henceforth descend, remain, revert, accrue, or grow due unto them and every of them, as also from henceforth to take, have, retain, keep and enjoy, all mannors, lands, tenements, and hereditaments which he or they may or shall have by way of purchase or guift of any person or persons whatsoever, as also to prosecute, pursue, maintain, avow, justify and defend all and all manner of actions, suites, and causes, and all other things to do as lawfully, liberally, freely and surely as if they the said Henry Boisrond de St Leger, John Cottin and others, and every of them had been born of English parents within this kingdome of England, and as any other person or persons born or derived from English parents within this kingdome may lawfully in anywise do and in all things and to all intents shall be taken to be and shall be natural liege subjects of this kingdome of England, any law, act, statute, provision, custome, ordinance, or other thing whatsoever, had, made, done, pro- mulged, proclaimed, or provided to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding.
Under the short-lived Naturalization Act of Queen Anne, printed forms were used. I give below the copy of a form duly filled up. The blanks, which in the original are inserted in writing, are here represented by italic types. The reason for the words Queen’s Bench, &c., having been written, and not having been printed, was that the applicant might select any one of the three courts of law, and might appear before either the Court of Queen’s Bench, or the Court of Common Pleas, or the Court of Exchequer.
“Queen’s Bench, Westminster. These are to satisfie all persons whom it may concern that Sarah Aufrere wife of Israel Anthony Aufrere of St James, Westminster, within the county of Middlesex, born out of the allegiance of Her Most Excellent Majesty Anne, by the Grace of God Queen of Great Britain &c : Did on Monday the fourteenth day of November Anno Domini 1709, personally appear before the Justices of Her said Majesties Queen’s Bench at Westminster, and then and there, in term time, between the hours of nine and twelve in the forenoon of the same day, produce and deliver in open court a certificate in writing of her receiving the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper in a Protestant or Reformed Congregation in this kingdom of Great Britain within three months past, next before the exhibiting such certificate, signed by the person administering such sacrament, and attested by two credible witnesses in pursuance of an Act of Parliament made in the seventh year of her said Majesties reign, entitled, an Act for Naturalizing Foreign Protestants, and then and there took and
