Becoming a Citizen
Shelby County, Ohio, Clerk of Courts records
for April 1853 through November 1854, report that 25 individuals received certificates of
citizenship. The German States provided 21 of the new citizens.
Baden: John
Foght, Christian Foster, John Foster and Christian Stingle.
Prussia: Michael Harmann, Henry Hartmann, Bernard Holthaus, Peter Martin,
Bernard Saveder and Bernard Schaff.
Hanover: Henry W. Ahlers, Charles F. Backhaus, Frederick Myer and Frederick
Pfitzmann.
Oldenburg: Henry Klanke (unclear surname) and John Frederick Vogthenrichs.
Wirtemburg: Frederick Iserman.
France: Uber Bushwaw, Peter Delaet, George Hines, Ferriol Maillott, Louis
Pepiot and Peter Rabulet.
Ireland: John McFarland.
Switzerland: Auguste Echemann.
Many aliens (immigrants) never applied for citizenship. Many probably began the process
by filing the declaration of intent, but never completed the petition for naturalization.
Wives and children were automatically naturalized with their husband and father until
1922, and no separate record of their naturalization was kept. Sons who were
naturalized with their fathers could, upon reaching the age of 21, apply for a separate
naturalization of their own. Women were naturalized individually if they were the head of
an immigrant family. Under some early provisions of the law, children whose fathers were
not native born or naturalized, could not be naturalized if under 21 years of age at the
time of immigration.
'Immigration'
segment written in November, 1997 by David
Lodge
[ Back to Immigration Index ]
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