Catalogue description Exchequer: King's Remembrancer: Sacrament Certificates

This series consists of sacrament certificates presented in the King's Remembrancer's Office in accordance with the Security of the Succession Act of 1702.

This act extended the requirements concerning the production of sacrament certificates demanded under the Test Act of 1672, and allowed officials to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy and to deliver sacrament certificates into the courts of Common Pleas and the Exchequer, rather than just the courts of Chancery and King's Bench as had been the case previously. The requirements established by these acts, and others, remained in force until the Sacramental Test Act of 1828.

The certificates mainly relate to parishes in the cities of London and Westminster, and in the counties of Middlesex, Kent and Surrey although other counties in England and Wales are also represented. The certificates are in English, on parchment and are in the form of either hand-written or pre-printed pro formas. The certificates contain the signatures of the minister and churchwarden of the parish, with the names of two witnesses appended.

Those of other counties presented at quarter sessions should be in local record offices.

Sacrament certificates presented in Chancery are in C 224

Certificates presented in the Cheshire courts are in CHES 4

Those presented in King's Bench are in KB 22