New York Naturalization

From Rootsweb
Jump to: navigation, search

This entry was originally written by Roger D. Joslyn, CG, FUGA, FGBS, FASG for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of
NewYork sil.png
the New York Family History Research series.
History of New York
New York Vital Records
Census Records for New York
Background Sources for New York
New York Maps
New York Land Records
New York Probate Records
New York Court Records
New York Tax Records
New York Cemetery Records
New York Church Records
New York Military Records
New York Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections
New York Archives, Libraries, and Societies
New York Immigration
New York Naturalization
Ethnic Groups of New York
New York County Resources
Map of New York


County naturalization records are kept by the county clerk. U.S. court records are in federal buildings in Buffalo and Albany, with most downstate records to the 1940s or 1950s at the National Archives'Northeast Region. At the latter is a microfilm of a WPA-created card index, arranged by Soundex, for all naturalizations (but not declarations of intention) performed in all courts in all five New York City boroughs (1792'1906), together with dexigraphs (photostats) of the original records. Until the late 1800s and early 1900s, these records provide little information; upstate records up to the mid-1800s are generally more informative. For some early records, see two compilations by Kenneth Scott: Early New York Naturalizations...1792'1840 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981) from federal, state, and local court records, and with Kenn Stryker-Rodda, Denizations, Naturalizations and Oaths of Allegiance in Colonial New York (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1975). See also 'Naturalizations in Federal Courts, New York District, 1790'1828,' by Mrs. Edward J. Chapin, in volume 97 of The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (1966); Kenneth Scott, 'New York City Naturalizations, 1795'1799,' National Genealogical Society Quarterly 71 (1983): 280-83; and 'List of Immigrants, 1802'1814' in the Emmet Collection in the New York Public Library manuscript department. The New York State Archives' Leaflet #6 on Naturalization & Related Records is available on its website. Also helpful is Naturalization Records of New York State, corrected edition (Syracuse, N.Y.: New York State Council of Genealogical Organizations Publication No. 1, 2001); Henry B. Hoff, 'Published New York City Naturalizations,' The NYG&B Newsletter 4 (1993): 4; and Leslie Corn, 'New York State Supreme Court Naturalization Records in the New York County Clerk's Office/Division of Old Records,' The NYG&B Newsletter 10 (1999): 59-62, 11 (2000): 6-11.

Related works in this category are Kenneth Scott and Rosanne Conway, New York Alien Residents, 1825'1848 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1978; reprint, Baltimore: Clearfield Co., 1991), and Kenneth Scott, 'Resident Aliens Enabled to Hold Land in New York State, 1790'1825,' National Genealogical Society Quarterly 67 (1979): 42-57.