Oath of Supremacy

The Oath of Supremacy was an oath imposed by the Act of Supremacy 1559, provided for any person taking public or clerical office in England to "testify and declare" that the monarch is "the only supreme governor of this realm" and renounce any other authority. Failure to take this oath or any act defined as in contrast with it would have been resulted in expropriation of movable goods on a first offence, a second offence would have resulted in life in prison and loss of all real estate possessions and a third offence would result in a charge of "high treason." The oath was originally imposed in April 1534 by King Henry VIII through the Act of Supremacy 1534. The This act was later repealed by Queen Mary, and restated again when Queen Elizabeth I came to power.

There were three levels of penalties for refusal to take the Oath of Supremacy. A first refusal to resulted in loss of all movable goods. A second offence could mean life in prison and a loss of all real estate Possessions. A third offence would result in a charge of High Treason and death. A few years later the Oath was extended to include M.P.s and anyone taking a university degree.

The main purpose of the oath was to remove all non-Anglicans, most especially Catholics, from public office. It was later extended to members of parliament and students taking a university degree.

Sources

• Jokinen, Anniina. “Oath of Supremacy.” Luminarium. 1 January 2003. Here.
• Elizabeth I's Act of Supremacy (1559); Another source.
• Catholic Encyclopedia