19th Century Immigrants to Britain

The records of thousands of 19th cnetury immigrants to Britain are now available to search and download at the UK National Archives.  The collection, which covers the period 1801 to 1871, inlcudes records relating to more than 7,000 people who applied to become British citizens under the 1844 Naturalisation act, as well as a small number of papers relating to denization, a form of British citizenship that conferred some but not all the rights of a British subject.

Applicants were required under the act to present a memorial to the Secretary of State at the Home Office stating their age, trade and duration of residence. These papers are now available online for the first time.