Massachusetts Naturalization and Citizenship

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United States

U.S. Naturalization and Citizenship

Massachusetts

Naturalization and Citizenship

United States Naturalization Online Genealogy Records

Online Resources

• 1787-1906 United States, New England, Petitions for Naturalization, 1787-1906, Northeast Region (including Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
• 1791-1906} United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: MyHeritage($),
• Massachusetts, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1798-1950 ($) index and images
• 1866-1983 Massachusetts Naturalizations at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
• 1871-1991 Massachusetts, United States Naturalization Records, 1871-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• 1906-1911 U.S. Naturalization Records Indexes for Massachusetts, 1906-1911 - U.S. Circuit Court ($)
• 1906-1917 Massachusetts, Naturalization Records, 1906-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1906-1929 Petitions and Records of Naturalizations of the U.S. District and Circuit Courts of the District of Massachusetts, 1906-1929 ($) index and images
• 1906-1966 Index to Petitions and Records of Naturalizations of the U.S. and District Courts for the District of Massachusetts, 1906-1966 ($)
• 1906-1966 Massachusetts, Naturalization Index, 1906-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1906-1966 U.S. Naturalization Records Indexes for Massachusetts, 1906-1966 Index and images ($)
• 1944-2003 U.S., Index to Alien Case Files, 1944-2003 at Ancestry — index($)

Availability

Naturalization records were filed in the various county and district courts of Massachusetts. The FamilySearch Library has some microfilm copies of these records.

Soundex Index

In the late 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) copied and indexed New England naturalization records for 1791 to 1906. The copies and index are at the National Archives Northeast Region (Boston). The National Archives in Washington, D.C., and the FamilySearch Library have microfilm copies of the index:

• United States, Immigration and Naturalization Service. Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906. Washington, D.C.: The National Archives, 1983. FS Library films 1429671-787.
  Some of the records are more recent than 1906. The index gives the name and location of the court, the date of naturalization, and the volume and page number (or certificate number) of the naturalization record.
  Also online at
• FamilySearch Historical Records at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

The FamilySearch Library also has:

• United States, District Court (Massachusetts). Naturalization Index Cards, 1790–1926. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1985. FS Library films 1420205-21 An index to naturalization records of the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Circuit Court for Massachusetts. A letter M beside the petition number indicates that it is a military naturalization.
• Massachusetts. Secretary of the Commonwealth. Returns of Naturalization before Various Massachusetts Courts, 1885–1931. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1993. FS Library film 1901984 (first of 9 films) These documents are also at the Massachusetts State Archives. Most years have full name indexes. List name, age, occupation, residence, date of naturalization, and witnesses.
• Massachusetts. Secretary of the Commonwealth. Indexes to Returns of Naturalization, 1920–1923, 1924–1925. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1994. FS Library film 1940387 (first of 7 films) Card index is also available at the Massachusetts State Archives. Each index card typically lists name, residence (town), occupation, court, age, and date.
• United States. District Court (Massachusetts). Naturalization Records, 1906–1917. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1988. FS Library films 1578248–302 Microfilms of originals are also in the National Archives in Washington, DC. Most volumes are individually indexed. Petitions list court district, name, residence, occupation, date and place of petition, port and date of embarkment, port of arrival, vessel, citizenship date, spouse, children, and their birth dates and places.

Post 1906 Records

For information on naturalization records after 1906, use the Genealogy Program at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or contact the Northeast Region of the National Archives:

National Archives—Northeast Region
Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center
380 Trapelo Road
Waltham, Massachusetts
02452-6399

Phone: (781) 663-0130
Fax: (781) 663-0154
E-mail: waltham.archives@nara.gov

Websites

Massachusetts Naturalization Index

References

Massachusetts Research Outline. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department, 1998, 2001.

NOTE: All of the information from the original research outline has been imported into this Wiki site and is being updated as time permits.

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