Delaware, County Naturalization Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

Delaware

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Delaware, County Naturalization Records, 1796-1958 CID2057672 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}
This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.
Delaware, United States
Flag of Delaware
Location of Delaware
Record Description
Record Type	Naturalization Records
Collection years	1796-1958
FamilySearch Resources
Delaware Guided Research
Delaware Record Finder
Delaware Research Tips and Strategies
Step-by-Step Delaware Research, 1880-Present
Delaware Naturalization and Citizenship
United States Naturalization and Citizenship
Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
United States Naturalization Types
Naturalization Terms and Acronyms
United States Naturalization Laws
Tracing Immigrants Arrival Naturalization and Citizenship
Related Websites
Delaware Naturalization Records
Archive
Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover

What is in This Collection?

This collection contains Superior Court naturalization records for Kent, New Castle and Sussex counties. The record content and time period vary by county.

Before 1906, immigrants could naturalize in any court that performed naturalizations including city, county, state and federal courts. As a result they often selected the most convenient court. If they lived in the Eastern District but worked elsewhere, they may have gone to a court closer to work. To begin, look for naturalization records in the courts of the county or city where the immigrant lived. If the county has an index search it first. Next look for the petition (second papers), because they are usually easier to find in courts near where the immigrant eventually settled.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. The first naturalization act was passed in 1802. Immigrants to the United States were not required to apply for citizenship. Of those who did apply, many did not complete the requirements for citizenship. Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen.

No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Naturalization records are generally well preserved, but some records may have been lost to fire or other disasters. The information that was current at the time of naturalization was usually reliable. However, there was always a chance for misinformation. Errors may have occurred because of the informant’s lack of knowledge or because of transcription errors or other circumstances.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility

FamilySearch provides images and indexes subject to contractual limitations and changes. Access to images and indexes may vary. Some collections may only have partial indexes without images. See Restrictions for Viewing Images for details.

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Delaware, County Naturalization Records, 1796-1958.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:
Petitions

• Name of the petitioner
• Residence
• Country of birth
• Place and date of arrival
• Names of two witnesses
• Petition number
• Date of petition
• Volume and page number of the petition

Declaration of Intent

• Name of the immigrant
• Country of birth
• Arrival date
• Date of Declaration of Intent or Naturalization
• Names of witnesses
• Signature of judge or court official
• Birth date
• Birthplace
• Age
• Race
• Last foreign residence
• Current residence
• Arrival place
• Marital status
• Name of spouse
• Maiden name of wife
• Birth date of spouse
• Residence of spouse

Collection Content

Sample Image

• 

  Petition for Naturalization 1874

How Do I Search This Collection?

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

• The name of the individual
• The approximate date of naturalization

If you do not know this information, check the 1900 census and then calculate the possible year of naturalization based on the date of immigration. The 1920 census may tell you the exact year of immigration or naturalization. If your ancestor naturalized befor 1900, check the census records to see when he or she first appeared in the census. This will give you a 10 year window in which they may have immigrated.

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.

1. Enter the information in the fields in the Search Collection section or click More Options to see additional fields
2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:

1. Select County
2. Select Record Type, Year Range, and Volume to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?

When you have located your ancestor’s naturalization record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

• Add any new information to your records

You can use naturalization records to:

• Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
• Confirm their date of arrival
• Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests
• Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived, then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and then in state, county, or city courts
• An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

• Check for variant spellings. Realize that the indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings and misinterpretations
• Look for an index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
• Search the naturalization records year by year
• Search the naturalization indexes of nearby counties

Research Helps

The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Delaware.

• Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
• Delaware Guided Research
• Delaware Research Tips and Strategies
• Step-by-Step Delaware Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

• American Naturalization Records, 1790-1990: what they are and how to use them, John J. Newman. Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998. FS Library book 973 P47na

• Szucs, Loretto Dennis. They became Americans: finding naturalization records and ethnic origins Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, c1998 FS Library 973 P47t

• Kent Co.. Superior Court. Certificate of naturalization stubs, 1909-1952
• Kent Co. Superior Court. Citizenship petitions granted or denied, 1930-1959
• Kent Co. Superior Court. Declarations of intention, 1906-1957
• Kent Co. Superior Court. Naturalization book, 1796-1858
• Kent Co. Superior Court. Naturalization papers, A-Z
• Kent Co. Superior Court. Naturalization petition and record, 1858-1958
• New Castle Co. Superior Court. Naturalization papers, A-Z
• New Castle Co. Superior Court. Naturalization records, 1798-1906
• Sussex Co. Superior Court. Certificate of naturalization stubs, 1915-1927
• Sussex Co. Superior Court. Citizenship petitions granted or denied, 1930-1958
• Sussex Co. Superior Court. Declarations of intention, 1907-1958
• Sussex Co. Superior Court. Naturalization papers, A-Z
• Sussex Co. Superior Court. Petition and record for naturalization, 1907-1958

U.S. District Court

• Naturalization petitions of the U.S. District and Circuit Courts for the District of Delaware, 1795-1930 ; index to naturalization petitions for the U.S. Circuit Court, 1795-1911, and District Court, 1795-1928, for the District of Delaware : NARA RG21 publications M1644 and M1649

Citing This Collection

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Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.

Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.

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