"Mark Willcox, of Concord, Chester County, and Thomas Lilly, of York County, were, on June 23rd, 1776, appointed by the Provincial Conference of Pennsylvania Judges of Election for members of the State Convention to be held July 8th. They were Catholics, and probably, the first in Pennsylvania to be appointed to a civil position. Prior to the Revolution all officials had to take an oath framed by the Parliament of England, which no Catholic could take, and so were debarred throughout all the Colonies as well as in England."
From The American Catholic historical researches, Volumes 1-2 edited by Martin Ignatius Joseph Griffin, Villiam Leo Joseph Griffin p. 83 at this link: http://books.google.com/books?id=fImHm8tU4wIC&pg=PA89&dq=mark+willcox&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ioZ8T7PnC7HViAKWudCJDg&ved=0CFAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=mark%20willcox&f=false
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