I am interested in the workings of the Manchester Naturalisation Society (records on FindMyPast) which acted like a Friendly Society where hopefuls paid their money in each week (on average one shilling), and then a ballot took place for the naturalisation (about 10% were successful it seems). This operated between 1896 and 1909 and 542 people were members, including my great grandfather Nathan Abrahams who paid in 3 shillings as his first payment (which is worth about £30 in today's money). Nathan had been living in Manchester since 1867, and was a successful Master Cabinet Maker with a wife and nine children born in Manchester (four of them married off) by the time he joined the society in early 1900. He evidently was not successful in winning the ballot and it would seem may have preferred to provide funds for the marriages of two daughters Annie (my grandmother who married in 1900) and Jane (who married her cousin in 1901). I would be interested to know if anyone has carried out any research into the Manchester Naturalisation Society, and knows how it came into being and how it worked, as well as who the lucky winners were in the ballots that took place. If 10% were successful did any of the 90% who were not successful apply for naturalisation anyway? My other three great grandfathers all naturalised during the 1890's in Edinburgh, Liverpool and Grimsby - though in the last case at his third attempt, having tried twice in Hull. Jill Whitehead nee Servian Families: Abrahams/Abrams of Manchester, Brown of Edinburgh, Servian of Liverpool and Guttenberg/Graham of Hull/Grimsby/Sheffield