They must be topping Masters made,
And, as our free-born Subjects, trade.
On this account assembled were
The native Birds of all the air,
And having laid their heads together,
Advising and debating whether
Those bold Canary-Birds should stay,
And nat’ralized be this clay
Through all disturb’d Utopia.
******
Then honest Robin silence brake,
And to the matter boldly spake —
“Is not our property so dear
That we those foreigners may fear?
Or shall Mich interlopers come
And turn me out of house and home?
Besides, they’re not of our religion
No more than any Holland widgeon.
They never go to church, as I,
Anthems to hear or sing, for why?
They hate our decent liturgy.”
******
The charming Linnet then besought
His brother birds to weigh this thought,
He wisely said and sweetly sung,
And with a pop’lar air it rung —
Whether they could believe it reason
To nat’ralize them at this season,
When our own traders hardly live,
And scarce industrious workers thrive;
For though they sing a merry note,
They arc perhaps not worth a groat.
And why should we infranchise those
That strangers come — and whence, God knows
Or give such rights to foreign breasts
Till we have feather’d our own nests?
They’ll underlive and sell us too,
And thus the native poor undo,
Or bring us to their wooden shoe.
******
Taking our houses o’er our heads,
The Free-born turning out of beds;
At easy rates their pockets filling
For small expense of one poor shilling.
Great numbers of the French refugees had been content with simple toleration, because they did not wish to cast off their French citizenship. They had lived in hope that a good time was coming when their native country would receive them, — a time when the victories of Britain and of the Anti-Bourbon Alliance would, by a satisfactory treaty of peace, purchase their restoration to their homes and estates. But the tone of the debates of 1711 alarmed them, and drove above two thousand to take advantage of the Act, and to enrol themselves as British subjects. [It should therefore be observed that the date of the naturalization of a Huguenot refugee is not necessarily the same, or even almost the same, as the date of his arrival on British soil.] Although the first attempt to repeal the Act failed; yet the second assault, renewed with the utmost possible haste, put an end to its existence. And on the 9th February 17 12 the royal assent was given to “An Act to repeal the Act of the seventh year of Her Majesty’s reign, entitled an Act for Naturalizing Foreign Protestants except what relates to the children of Her Majesty’s natural born subjects, born out of Her Majesty’s allegiance.”
With regard to attestations of naturalisation, the denizen, whose name had been duly recorded on the patent roll, received a printed certificate, of which the following is a specimen: — It is endorsed, “Certificate of denization for James Barbot and Mary his wife, 16th July 1696,” and is stamped with a “vi pence” impressed-stamp. The names and the day of the month are inserted in writing; also the plural verb “are.”
“I, Nicholas Hayward, Notary and Tabellion Publick, dwelling in London, Admitted and Sworn, Do hereby Certifie and Attest unto all whom it may concern, That I have Seen and Perused certain Fetters Patent of Denization granted by our Sovereign Lord King William the Third under the Broad Seal of England, Dated the tenth of July in the Eighth year of His Majesties Reign, wherein among others is inserted the name of James Barbot and Mary his wile, who, though Born beyond seas are made His Majesties Leige Subject[s?] and to be Held, Reputed, and Taken as Subject[s?] Born in this Kingdom of England, and may, as Such, Purchase, Buy, Sell, and Dispose of Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments in this Kingdom or any other of His Majesties Dominions as freely, peaceably and entirely, as any Subject Born in this Kingdom, and that the said James Barbot and Mary his wife, by Virtue of the said Letters Patent, are to enjoy all Liberties, Priviledges and Franchises of Subject Born in this Kingdom, without any Disturbance, Impediment or Molestation as by the said Patent, relation being thereunto had, may more at large appear. Of all which act being Required of me the said Notary, I have Granted these Presents to serve and avail the said James Barbot and Mary his wile, 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 Tabellionatfts mei sigillum apposui rogatus.
| Seal | “Nic. Hayward, Notrius Pubcus Angl. & Hyb.” |
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
