General
The Lafayette County Naturalization Records consist of Declarations of Intention, Petitions, indexes to these records, plus Orders Granting and Denying Petitions and Naturalization Stub Books.
The original system of numbering volumes was retained because the indexes are often keyed to that system. For preservation purposes some volumes have been dismantled and placed in boxes. Because volume numbers are duplicated, when requesting a particular volume, the researcher should specify not only the volume number but also the type of volume and dates.
Indexes
The CARD INDEX TO DECLARATIONS, 1850-1939, gives the date, volume, and page number for Declarations in Volumes 1-2 and 1X-6X, and the volume and declaration number for those in Volumes 7X and 8X. However, this index appears not to include those in Volume 8X after Declaration number 709. (The researcher also should be aware that all the Declaration of Intention volumes are arranged more or less in chronological order, except Volume 8X, which is in reverse chronological order.)
The Declarations in Boxes 11-17 are not indexed in the Card Index to Declarations but are indexed by INDEX TO INTENTIONS, 1847-1878. The Index to Intentions provides the name and date but not a volume number. These boxed Declarations are original copies of many of the Declarations in Volumes 1-2. They are arranged in alphabetical order and concentrated in, but are not exclusively confined to, the years 1848-1884.
The CARD INDEX TO PETITIONS, 1847-1954, gives the date, volume, and page number for Petitions in Volumes 1X-7X, and the volume and Petition number for those in Volumes 8X-10X. (Note that Volumes 8X-10X are arranged in reverse chronological order.) This index also gives the volume and page for Petitions filed prior to 1906 (Volumes 14 and 15). Entries may refer to these volumes as “Vol. 11” or “Vol. B” or “Vol. 10” or “Vol. C.”
Some anomalies in the CARD INDEX TO PETITIONS should be pointed out:
- 1) Generally the space on the index card which gives the volume and page number also gives a year, which is usually earlier than the year in which the Petition was filed. This year is the first year to be found in the volume cited. This information serves no useful indexing function and therefore can be ignored.
- 2) For many individuals there are two index cards. The second card gives a volume and page number for volumes that are not contained in this collection. Only those cards which list a volume number suffixed by an “X”actually refer to materials in this collection.
- 3) Occasionally there is only the type of card which does not give a volume suffixed by an “X” (see note #2). In those instances, the date of naturalization is the key locator item. The researcher should request the volume which contains this date and then search for the Petition, keeping in mind that Volumes 1X-7X are arranged more or less in chronological order and Volumes 8X-10X more or less in reverse chronological order.
The INDEX TO INTENTIONS, 1847-1878, gives the name of the applicant and date of intention. It is organized by last name of the applicant and is roughly chronological thereunder. This index does give any volume numbers.
The INDEX TO CITIZENSHIP, 1880-1891, indexes intentions, petitions, and certificates. For each name the volume gives the name of the applicant, volume number, page number, date of intention, and county in which the intention was filed. For petitions and certificates, the volume gives the volume, page number, and date of the document. This volume contains very few names.
Other Indexes
At the beginning of most volumes there is an index to that particular volume. These indexes are arranged in alphabetical segments by first letter of surname and more or less chronologically therein. They give the page or document number.
Records
The DECLARATIONS OF INTENTION consist of three distinct groups: 1850-1906 (Volumes 1-2), 1848-1884 (Boxes 11-17), and 1906-1910 (Volumes 1X-8X). Although those in the 1850-1906 group and the 1848-1884 group cover the same time period, the Declarations in each group are unique: they do not duplicate each other. The Declarations in the 1850-1906 group list name, county of birth, the foreign ruler whose allegiance is being renounced, age, port of embarkation, and arrival date. Each volume contains a name index. Declarations in the 1848-1884 group contain some of the same data elements, but in general contain less information.
PETITIONS, 1903-1906, (Vol. 15) was originally titled “Volume 10 or C.” It contains petitions, oaths of witness, the final oath, and certificate for each petitioner. All elements appear on the same page for each name. There index at the front of the volume which is incomplete.
PETITIONS, 1880-1903, (Vol. 14) was originally titled “Volume 11 or B.” It contains petitions only.
MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS consist of a Register of Citizenship, 1847-1879, Orders Granting and Denying Petitions, 1929-1954, and Naturalization Stub Books, 1907-1927.
The Register of Citizenship, 1847-1879, lists the name and date of citizenship. The names are arranged alphabetically by last name and are roughly chronological. Each entry was numbered, presumably this was to keep track of the number of entries for each letter. The volume does not make references to other volumes.
Orders Granting and Denying Citizenship, 1929-1954, list name, any change of name, and the petition number for each individual.
Naturalization Stub Books, 1907-1927, record name; certificate number; date; name of issuing court; number of the Declaration; volume and number of the Petition; date of the court order; and the names, ages, and places of residence of the spouse and minor children.
