Catholic Qualification Rolls
In 1774 an Act was passed 'An Act to Enable His Majesty’s Subjects of Whatever Persuasion to Testify their Allegiance to Him' permitting the King’s subjects, of any religion, to take an oath at the local assizes (courts),
“to testify to their loyalty and allegiance to him, to promote peace and industry in the kingdom.”
Restrictions on Catholics enabled by the various Penal laws enacted by an Irish Protestant parliament, were relaxed for those Catholics taking the oath. Various reform legislation enacted in the late 18th century Irish Parliament and thereafter in the early part of the 19th century by the British or UK Parliament stipulated the extent to which those Catholics who took this oath could re-establish their liberty under the constitution as then existed.​​
Once an oath was given, the names were then registered in the Catholic Qualification Rolls according to surname, first name, address, and date of qualification. Occupation is sometimes also supplied.
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A series of statutes — particularly the Parliamentary Oaths Act, 1866, the Office and Oath Act, 1867, and the Promissory Oaths Act, 1868, simplified the law on the subject, and appointed short forms of oaths to be taken by all persons, irrespective of religion, on the various occasions indicated, such as taking one’s seat as Member of Parliament, assuming Judicial or other office, etc.
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The rolls covered the period from 1775 to 1854 but due the Four Courts blaze of 1922, many of the originals were lost, and at present we only have access to the Index's to these rolls for the period up to 1801.​
catholic Relief Acts
​​The Catholic Relief Act (1778)
(Irish Parl.)
An Act for the Relief of His Majesty’s Subjects of this Kingdom Professing the Popish Religion
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Removed virtually all of the legal restrictions respecting the acquisition and free testamentary disposition of landed property. It allowed Catholics to purchase and own land, as long as they took an Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown. Before the Act, Catholics were barred from owning land outright and they were restricted to leasing land for no more than 31 years
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The Catholic Relief Act (1782)
(Irish Parl.)
An act for the further relief of his majesty’s subjects of this Kingdom professing the popish religion
(aka Gardiner's Second Act)
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The right to purchase land was restored to Catholics. Previously, under the Penal Laws, a Catholic landowner's property had to be divided equally among all his sons upon his death. The 1782 Act abolished this requirement, allowing Catholics to leave their property to a single heir. Allowed Catholics to lease land for up to 999 years, significantly increasing their security of tenure. Allowed the establishment of Catholic schools in Ireland. Eased some of the oppressive measures against Catholic clergy, allowing them to operate more openly without fear of prosecution
The Catholic Relief Act (1792)
(Irish Parl.)
An Act to remove certain Restraints, to which His Majesty's Subjects professing the Popish Religion are now subject
(aka Langrishes' Act)
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Removed restrictions on catholic barristers and solicitors regarding the employment of apprentices and clerks. Removed the bar on barristers having Catholic wives and solicitors having to educate children as Protestants. Dispensed with the requirement of the 1782 relief Act for Catholic School Teachers to obtain a licence from the Church of Ireland Bishop of the diocese where they resided.​​​​
The Catholic Relief Act (1793)
(Irish Parl.)
An act for the relief of his majesty’s popish, or Roman catholic subjects of Ireland
(aka Hobart's Act)
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Extended the right to vote to Catholics otherwise qualified to do so, and enabled Catholics to take degrees but not to have full standing. Though for this additional privilege to extend to Catholics an additional Oath was required of them. They were also enabled to hold Civil and Military Offices that were not specifically excepted.​​​​​​​
​​​​​​The Catholic Relief Act (1829)
(UK Parl.)
An act for the relief of his majesty’s Roman catholic subjects
(aka The Emancipation Act)
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Permitted members of the Catholic Church to sit in the Westminster Parliament without taking any oath insulting their religion. Catholics were permitted to hold most civil and military offices, such as judgeships and high-ranking military positions. Catholics could now serve in municipal corporations, allowing them to participate in local governance.
​​​​​​The Catholic Relief Act (1813)
(UK Parl.)
An Act to relieve from the Operation of the Statute of the Twenty fifth Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second, intituled An Act for preventing Dangers which may happen from Popish Recusants...
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Extended the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1793's provisions to Irish Roman Catholics in England. It allowed Catholics to serve as officers in the British Army and Navy without being required to take the Oath of Supremacy. Catholic soldiers and sailors were granted the right to practice their religion without interference. Catholic chaplains could minister to Catholic members of the armed forces, which had previously been restricted.
Oath Testifying Allegiance
" 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, and dignity;
and I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to his Majesty, and his heirs, all treasons and traitorous conspiracies, which may be 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; hereby utterly renouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance unto the person taking upon himself the stile and title of prince of Wales in the lifetime of his father, and who since his death is said to have assumed the stile and title of king of Great Britain and Ireland by the name of Charles the third, and to any other person claiming or pretending a right to the crown of these realms;
and I do swear, that I do reject and detest as unchristian and impious to believe, that it is lawful to murder or destroy any person or persons whatsoever for or under pretence of their being hereticks; and also that unchristian and impious to believe, that it is lawful to murder or destroy any person or persons whatsoever for or under the pretence of their being hereticks; and also that unchristian and impious principle, that no faith is to be kept with hereticks; I further declare, that it is no article of my faith, and that I do renounce, reject, and abjure the opinion, that princes excommunicated by the pope and council, or by any authority of the see of Rome, or by any authority whatsoever;
and I do promise, that I will not hold, maintain, or abet, any such opinion, or any other opinion, contrary to what is expressed in this declaration; and I do declare, that i do not believe, that the pope of Rome, or any other foreign prince, prelate, state, or potentate hath or ought to have any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority, or preeminence, directly or indirectly, within this realm; and I do solemnly in the presence of God, and of his only Son Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, profess, testify, and declare, that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatever,
and without any dispensation already granted by the pope, or any authority of the see of Rome, or any person whatever; and without thinking that I am or can be acquitted before God or man, or absolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the pope, or any other person or persons, or authority whatsoever shall dispense with or annul the same, or declare that it was null and void from the beginning. So help me God."
Oath (Right To Vote: Hobart's Act 1793)
" I A.B. do hereby declare, that I do profess the Roman catholic religion. I A.B. do swear, that I do abjure, condemn, and detest, as unchristian and impious, the principle that it is lawful to murder, destroy, or any ways injure any person whatsoever, for or under the pretence of being a heretic;
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and I do declare solemnly before God, that I believe, that no act in itself unjust, immoral, or wicked, can ever be justified or excused by or under pretence or colour, that it was done either for the good of the church, or in obedience to any ecclesiastical power whatsoever. I also declare, that it is not an article of the catholic faith, neither am I thereby required to believe or profess that the pope is infallible, or that I am bound to obey any order in its own nature immoral, though the pope or any ecclesiastical power should issue or direct such order, but on the contrary,
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I hold that it would be sinful in me to pay any respect or obedience thereto. I further declare, that I do not believe that any sin whatsoever, committed by me, can be forgiven at the mere will of any pope, or of any priest, or of any person or persons whatsoever, but that sincere sorrow for past sins, a firm and sincere resolution to avoid future guilt and atone to God, are previous and indispensable requisites to establish a well-founded expectation of forgiveness, and that any person who receives absolution without these previous requisites, so far from obtaining thereby any remission of his sins, incurs the additional guilt of violating a sacrament;
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and I do swear that I will defend to the utmost of my power the settlement and arrangement of property in this country, as established by the laws now in being; I do hereby disclaim, disavow and solemnly abjure any intention to subvert the present church establishment for the purpose of substituting a catholic establishment in its stead; and I do solemnly swear, that I will not exercise any privilege to which I am or may become entitled, to disturb and weaken the protestant religion and protestant government in this Kingdom. So help me God!"