Troy Valos, SMC Special Collections Librarian, 2021
If an individual naturalized before 1906 and was living in one of the localities within the South Hampton Roads region, then the individual would have typically gone before the local courts to complete the process. Typically, the declaration of intent and oath of allegiance for naturalization were recorded in the local court's order books. Sometimes the court’s minute books were used to record the naturalization. When the naturalization process became federalized in 1906, then the records were created in the Federal District Court here in Norfolk City and the naturalization paperwork ended up in the National Archives.
If the individual naturalized in Southside Hampton Roads prior to 1906, please consult:
Wingo, Elizabeth B., and W. Bruce Wingo. Naturalizations and Declarations of Intention: 1784-1884, 100 Years: Norfolk Borough/City, Norfolk County (Now Chesapeake), Princess Anne County (Now Virginia Beach), Portsmouth, Eastern District Court, Virginia. Norfolk, Va: E.B. Wingo and W.B. Wingo, 1987.
Worldcat’s catalog entry: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/19779579
Call Number #: 929.3 USVA, Norf (SMC at Slover)
Based on the date range for the naturalization records at the National Archives, it appears the Federal District Court also handled naturalization from 1838 to 1905. It is
Recommendation: Look at local court records first, then consult the National Archives afterwards.
Southside Hampton Roads region is currently the cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Suffolk. It also includes the former Norfolk County, Princess Anne County, and Nansemond County.
Other websites about US Naturalization process:
FamilySearch.org’s Wiki - United States Naturalization and Citizenship https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/United_States_Naturalization_and_Citizenship
National Archives – Naturalization Records https://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/naturalization
Lisa A. Alzo’s FamilyTree Magazine article - “How to Find and Use Naturalization Records” https://www.familytreemagazine.com/premium/naturalization-records/
You should consult the Order Books and maybe the Minute Books at the following courthouses:
Norfolk City (Norfolk City, however you may still need to check the Norfolk County records at Chesapeake)
Virginia Beach (Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County)
Chesapeake (Chesapeake and Norfolk County)
Portsmouth (Portsmouth, though you may still need to check the Norfolk County records at Chesapeake)
Suffolk (Suffolk and Nansemond County)
Most of the prior 1860 court records for Norfolk City, Portsmouth, Princess Anne County, and Norfolk County have been microfilmed and, in some cases, digitized. Suffolk/Nansemond County lost nearly all of its records prior to 1866.
The Library of Virginia holds microfilm records for all the localities in their collection. Consult their informational pages about local court records.
A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm https://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/local/
County and City Records at the Library of Virginia with including formation histories of the localities. https://www.lva.virginia.gov/whatwehave/local/county_formation/index.htm
Most of the local history and genealogical collections within the public libraries in the region have these records on microfilm.
FamilySearch’s Family History Centers and Affiliate Libraries have access to the digitized local records from the South Hampton Roads region’s localities. Use their catalog to access the digital copies.
FamilySearch.org - www.familysearch.org
Find a Family History Center and FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries - https://www.familysearch.org/help/fhcenters/locations/
The URLs for the links may change or the catalog entry for these records may change; however, the records will always be retained by the National Archives. Please consult their catalog for the latest information and physical location of these records.
These records may or may not have indexes. The researcher may have to browse the records in search of the individual in question.
The current location (November 2020) for these records below is:
National Archives at Philadelphia (RE-PA)
14700 Townsend Road
Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096
Phone: 215-305-2044
Fax: 215-305-2052
Email: philadelphia.archives@nara.gov
Website: https://www.archives.gov/philadelphia
Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, 1838 - 1991
National Archives Identifier: 573404
Local Identifier: 51-E-1-10.1
Creator(s): U.S. District Court for the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia. 2/3/1871- (Most Recent)
From: Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/573404
Petitions for Naturalization, 1838 – 1992
National Archives Identifier: 1112312
Local Identifier: 51-E-1-10.2 and 51-E-1-10.12
Creator(s): U.S. District Court for the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia. 2/3/1871- (Most Recent)
From: Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1112312
Certificate of Naturalization Receipt Stubs, 1907 – 1926
National Archives Identifier: 1112633
Local Identifier: 51-E-1-10.3
Creator(s): U.S. District Court for the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia. 2/3/1871- (Most Recent)
From: Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1112633
Naturalization Case Files, 1908 – 1980
National Archives Identifier: 1112684
Local Identifier: 51-E-1-10.11
Creator(s): U.S. District Court for the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia. 2/3/1871- (Most Recent)
From: Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1112684
Military Petitions for Naturalization, 1918 – 1924
National Archives Identifier: 84565006
Local Identifier: 51-E-1-10.14
Creator(s): U.S. District Court for the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia. 2/3/1871- (Most Recent)
From: Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/84565006
Petitions for Naturalization Transferred from Other Courts, 1953 – 1992
National Archives Identifier: 609081
Local Identifier: 51-E-1-10.5
Creator(s): U.S. District Court for the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia. 2/3/1871- (Most Recent)
From: Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/609081
Repatriation Oaths of Allegiance, 1937 - 1981
National Archives Identifier: 1112680
Local Identifier: 51-E-1-10.7
Creator(s): U.S. District Court for the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia. 2/3/1871- (Most Recent)
From: Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1112680
Duplicate Naturalization Petitions, 1944 – 1955
National Archives Identifier: 1112681
Local Identifier: 51-E-1-10.8
Creator(s): U.S. District Court for the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia. 2/3/1871- (Most Recent)
From: Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1112681