Series 5320

District Court (First District) Record of officials' and jurors' oaths, i 1891-1893.

These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Historical Note

See history of the records' creator.

Summary of Records

This series contains a book of printed oaths signed by officials and jurors in compliance with the requirements of the federal Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887. The book was a record for the First District Court in Odgen, documenting those who had taken the oath. The intention of the law was to prevent polygamists from voting, holding public office, or serving on juries. Each printed oath provides space for filling in the name, age, citizenship, name of spouse, the signature of the official or juror taking the oath, the signature of the clerk, the signature of the deputy clerk and the date of the signing.

Scope and Content

This series contains a book of printed oaths signed by officials and jurors in compliance with the requirements of the federal Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887. The book was a record for the First District Court in Odgen, documenting those who had taken the oath. The intention of the law was to prevent polygamists from voting, holding public office, or serving on juries. It dictated that "As a condition precedent to the right to hold office in or under said Territory, the officer, before entering on the duties of his office, shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation declaring his full name, with his age, place of business, his status, whether married or single, and, if married, the name of his lawful wife, and that he will support the Constitution of the United States and will faithfully obey the laws thereof, and especially will obey the act of Congress approved March twenty-second, eighteen hundred and eighty-two, entitled "An act to amend section fifty-three hundred and fifty-two of the Revised Statutes of the United States, in reference to bigamy, and for other purposes," and will also obey this act in respect of the crimes in said act defined and forbidden, and that he will not, directly or indirectly, aid or abet, counsel or advise, any other person to commit any of said crimes; which oath or affirmation shall be recorded in the proper office and endorsed on the commission or certificate of appointment. All grand and petit jurors in said Territory shall take the same oath or affirmation, to be administered, in writing or orally, in the proper court. No person shall be entitled to vote in any election in said Territory, or be capable of jury service, or hold any office of trust or emolument in said Territory who shall not have taken the oath or affirmation aforesaid."
Each printed oath provides space for filling in the name, age, citizenship, name of spouse, the signature of the official or juror taking the oath, the signature of the clerk, the signature of the deputy clerk and the date of the signing. A large portion of the book remains unused.

Arrangement

Chronological by date of oath.

Access Restrictions

This series is classified as Public.

Use Restrictions

These records are available for reproduction and use.

Preferred Citation

Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.

Acquisition Information

These records were acquired from the creating agency through established retention schedules.

Processing Information

This series was archivally processed by Alan Barnett and John Jerman in August 2017.

Related Material

Oath Record from Tooele County (Utah). County Clerk,
, contains additional examples of Edmunds-Tucker Act oaths taken by public officials.

Indexing Terms

Container List

DiscBoxDescription
pending1 Record of Edmunds-Tucker Oaths; 1891 May 4-1893 May 15