• Français
  • Home
  • News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
  •  Browse
  •  Advanced Search
  •  Reader Mode
  •  Printer-friendly
mobile
    • Outline
    facebook sharing button Share
    twitter sharing button Tweet
    • New Biographies
    • Minor Corrections
    • Biography of the Day
      d. 17 May 1815 at Quebec
      PANET, JEAN-ANTOINE
      d. 17 May 1815 at Quebec
      See previous
    • Themes, Essays, and Guides
      • The War of 1812
      • The First World War
      • Confederation
      • Women in the DCB/DBC
      • See complete list
    facebook sharing button Share
    twitter sharing button Tweet

English post-Reformation oaths

On 10 Feb. 1763, following the Treaty of Paris, France formally ceded Canada to Great Britain. The fourth article of the treaty granted Roman Catholics in Quebec religious liberty “as far as the laws of Great Britain permit.” But those laws included the Corporation Act of 1661 and the Test Acts of 1673 and 1678, by which Catholics were barred from all offices under the crown, disabled in the courts, deprived of the vote, and banned from both houses of parliament. Access to some positions was possible on condition of swearing a test oath, in which one had to deny certain dogmas of the Catholic religion and continue to pledge allegiance to the British crown. The intent to anglicize the new colony, expressed in the Royal Proclamation of October 1763, did not materialize for lack of massive immigration by British colonists. As a result it was finally deemed that the conquered people, whose population growth was undeniable, would not be subject to the “Incapacities, Disabilities and Penalties” imposed on Catholics in Great Britain. Under the Quebec Act of 1774 Catholics in the province of Quebec were therefore no longer subject to the oath. The Test Act was repealed throughout the empire in 1828.

Related Biographies

BABY, FRANÇOIS (1733-1820)
DOYLE, LAURENCE (Lawrence) O’CONNOR
ENTREMONT, SIMON D’
LEBRUN (Le Brun) DE DUPLESSIS, JEAN-BAPTISTE
MURRAY, JAMES
PANET, JEAN-CLAUDE
VERVILLE, JEAN-FRANÇOIS DE

Image Gallery

We acknowledge the financial support of the Canadian Museum of History through the Online Works of Reference Program funded by the Government of Canada.
Nous reconnaissons l'aide financière du Musée canadien de l'histoire à travers les œuvres du programme de référence en ligne financés par le gouvernement du Canada.

We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada.


Nous reconnaissons l’appui du gouvernement du Canada.

© 2003-2025 University of Toronto/Université Laval

Suggest corrections or additions

Important Notices

Websites of Interest

 
OK Cancel
OK