Citation 7 Ann c 5 | ||
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Long title An Act for naturalizing Foreign Protestants. | ||
The Foreign Protestants Naturalization Act 1708 (7 Anne c. 5), sometimes referred to as the Foreign and Protestants Naturalization Act 1708, was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain. It was passed to allow the naturalisation of French Protestants (Huguenots) who had fled to Britain since the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. It was one of the British Subjects Acts 1708 to 1772.
The Whig majority in Parliament passed the Act with the support of both Houses of Parliament despite some opposition that a "conflux of aliens that would be invited over". The counter-argument is presented in the preamble of the bill "that the increase of people is a means of advancing the wealth and strength of a nation."
The effect of the Act was that all foreign Protestants could be naturalised provided they swore allegiance to the government and received sacrament in any Protestant church. Following the act, between May and June 1709, up to 12,000 Palatines, Suabians, and other German Lutherans had arrived in Britain due to war in those places. Some German Catholics who arrived were sent back, and some immigrants were sent on to Ireland, New York and Carolina.
The Act was largely repealed by the Tories in 1711 by the Naturalization Act 1711 (10 Anne c. 9). The section dealing with naturalizing the children of British subjects born abroad was not repealed however. This section says "3. ... the children of all natural born subjects born out of the ligeance of her Majesty her heires and successors shall be deemed adjudged and taken to be natural born subjects of this kingdom to all intents constructions and purposes whatsoever.