There are no restrictions.
There are no restrictions.
Petersburg (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1907-1918. Local government records collection, Petersburg (City) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers under the accession number 43614.
Petersburg was formed from parts of Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Chesterfield Counties. It was established in 1748 and incorporated as a town in 1784. In the latter years the towns of Blandford, Pocahontas, and Ravenscroft were added to Petersburg. It was incorporated as a city in 1850.
Declarations of intent were the record by which an applicant for U.S. citizenship declared their intent to become a citizen and renounced their allegiance to a foreign government. A declaration of intention normally preceded proof of residence or a petition to become a citizen by two or more years. Beginning in 1795, a person could declare their intent to become a citizen at any time and in any place after they arrived in the United States. After three additional years, a person could apply to become a citizen. These two steps did not have to take place in the same court. Derivative citizenship was granted to wives and minor children of naturalized men.
Petersburg (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1907-1918, consist of two volumes of certificates of naturalization, one volume of declarations of intention, and one volume of petitions for naturalization.
The certificates of naturalization are for certificates numbered 933701-933750 and 932351-932400, both dated 1918 May. Each certificate gives the certificate number, name, age, declaration of intention number (if recorded in Petersburg), court and locality of issue of declaration of intention, volume and number of petition for naturalization (if recorded in Petersburg), date order signed, and name, age, and place of residence for wife and minor children.
Declarations of intention (1907-1917) record a person's name, age, occupation, color, complexion, height in feet and inches, weight, color of hair, color of eyes, other visible distinctive marks, place and date of birth, current residence, place from where emigrated to the United States, vessel arrived on, last foreign residence, a renunciation of allegiance and fidelity to the state of which the person is currently a citizen, and the date the intention was sworn. There is an index in the front of the volume.
Petitions for naturalization (1907-1918) record a person's name, place of residence (street, city and state), occupation, birth date and place, from where emigrated, date of emigration, port of arrival, vessel's name, date of declaration of intention to become a citizen, place and court of declaration, whether married or unmarried, name, place of birth and current residence of wife, name, date, place of birth and place of residence of children, oath to disavow allegiance to head of state of former country of citizenship, ability to speak English, date of at least five years past of continuous residence in the United States, signature, and date of petition. Also included is an affidavit of two witnesses that they have known the petitioner and can attest to the truthfulness of five years residence and that the petitioner would be a good citizen. Pasted to some petitions are declarations of intention. There is an index in the front of the volume.