Does anybody know where I would find records of Naturalization for a Swede living in the Bahamas, becoming a British Subject? The year of naturalization is circa 1818. Thanks, Tian

Tian I'm not sure what the process was in the Bahamas but in Britain until 1844 most naturalisations were through acts of Parliament. The British government did not need to know about or register naturalisations in the colonies until 1914. I'd suggest that it would have been the same in the Bahamas - in which case the place to start would be the local acts in the Bahamas (or at The National Archives (PRO), series CO 25 - arranged by date but there are summaries in CO 383). Once the naturalisation had been granted it was usual for the grant to be enrolled in the deeds or enrolment books - these are held in the Bahamas (if they survive) and could be in the archive, register office or even with the court. May be someone with a better understanding of Bahamian archives can help. It is unlikely that the grant will say anything more than x, formerly of the country of y was granted nationality on such and such date - the grant would normally extend to wife and minor children if they too were not British. You are unlikely to find correspondence or other papers at this time. One question - how do you know that they were naturalised? The process was quite expensive and for most people unnecessary unless they wanted to vote or purchase land. Hope that this helps. Guy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tian Uddenberg" <tian@shaw.ca> To: <CARIBBEAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 2:11 AM Subject: Re:PRO Naturalization Records > Does anybody know where I would find records of Naturalization for a > Swede living in the Bahamas, becoming a British Subject? The year of > naturalization is circa 1818. > Thanks, > Tian > > > ==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ==== > For information on individual islands, research aids, island bulletin boards or history please visit the CaribbeanGenWeb project at > http://www.rootsweb.com/~caribgw/ > >

I had forgotten that I have something on this: a publication entitled "Naturalizations of Foreign Protestants in the American & West Indian Colonies", edited by M.S. GIUSEPPI, F.S.A, London 1921; republished 1995, Genealogical Publishing Co. Baltimore. ISBN 0-8063-0157-0. The Introduction states: "The present volume contains all the returns sent from the Colonies to the Lords Commissioners for Trade & Plantations in pursuance of the Act 12 George II c. 7 ("An Act for Naturalizing such foreign Protestants and others therein mentioned , as are settled or shall settle, in any of his Majesty's colonies in America") which have been found amongst the records of those Commissioners now classified with the records of the Colonial Office preserved at the Public Records Office." The PRO documents in question appear to be C.O. 324, 55 & 56. There are NO entries for Barbados, Antigua, Nevis, St. Christopher, Montserrat, the Bahamas or Bermuda. However there are just over five pages for Jamaica, almost all concerning "Persons Professing the Jewish Religion"., beginning 1 June 1740, an ending1 June 1751. Pages 7 to 40 cover other mainland colonies (South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and New York). Pages 13 to 29 being Pennsylvania; and the vast majority of the naturalizations, pages 41 to 157, are all for Pennsylvania (seem to be mainly Germans, but some Quakers as well) Ernest -----Original Message----- From: Guy Grannum [mailto:guy@gcgrannum.freeserve.co.uk] Subject: Re: Re:PRO Naturalization Records Tian I'm not sure what the process was in the Bahamas but in Britain until 1844 most naturalisations were through acts of Parliament. The British government did not need to know about or register naturalisations in the colonies until 1914.