In a message dated 5/18/02 12:38:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: > Why would they say born in NJ when my grandfather who he is living with says > his father was born in Ireland? Please help me figure this out with some > suggestions, as this Joseph Fitzgerald is a mystery. . ( not really just > cant find out where he is buried or where is was naturalized . > Chris- He probably wasn't naturalized. I have an Irish family who shows up for the first time on the 1860 census saying everyone was born in Ireland and on the next census and every one after that it says the parents were born Ireland but all the children were born in NJ. I *know* that isn't true--but they even said it in their obituaries. They either were trying to make themselves appear to be citizens or they had something to gain by claiming to be NJ born--that is the only thing I can figure. I have never found naturalization records for them either. I also figure there was some "stigma" to having been born in Ireland at that time in history. Joan