CERTIFICATE, ARCHIBALD PAULL BURT, OATH OF ALLEGIANCE, QUEEN'S BENCH, WESTMINSTER

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Barlow, GR(?)

1845

Overview

Certificate that Archibald Paull Burt had taken the Oath of Allegiance (swearing loyalty to the British monarch) and the Oath of Abjuration (renouncing the Stuart dynasty and the temporal power of the Pope) in the court of Queen's Bench, Westminster. Official ink stamp with crown at lower left of document. Single page, folded vertically, with handwriting on one half of one side.
Signed by GR (?) Barlow from the Crown Office, Temple.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-46-1976.24

Item type

Documents

Material

Ink

Paper

Width

205 mm

Height or length

320 mm

Inscriptions and markings

Queens Bench, Westminster stamp

Contextual Information

Oaths of Allegiance to the Monarch and the Church of England were required by all persons (from the 17th century) aspiring to hold public office within the British Empire. This letter of certification was issued to Archibald Burt three days after his Admission to the Bar at Middle Temple in London, both actions appearing to demonstrate an ambition to continue furthering his career in the legal profession and in public office. The document appears complete and is in original condition.
Burt went on to become a key figure in the development of law in the English tradition in Western Australia and so documents associated with his earlier legal career are of great interest in understanding his actions and motivations in this area in later years.

Sir Archibald Paull Burt (1810-1879) was born into a plantation-owning family on St Kitts Island (formerly St Christopher in the West Indies). Burt accepted the position of Civil Commissioner and Chairman of Quarter Sessions in Western Australia in 1860. In January 1861 he arrived in Western Australia with his family. Burt was instrumental in establishing the Supreme Court Australia in 1861 and became the first Chief Justice of Western Australia. Knighted for his contributions in 1873, he maintained a secluded life to ensure impartiality and professional detachment as sole judge in the colony until his death in 1879. Archibald Paull Burt’s impact and lasting legacy in Western Australia continues through his family members who have held governmental and legislative roles in the state for multiple generations.

Keywords

Burt, Archibald Paull

Oaths Of Allegiance And Abjuration

Place made

London, United Kingdom

Year

1845

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Scientific or research significance

Comparative significance criteria

Object’s condition or completeness