Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

City of Lynchburg's loose naturalization records, 1817-1898, are digitized and available through the Naturalization Records Digital Collection on the Library of Virginia website. Please use digital images.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Lynchburg (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1817-1898. Local government records collection, Lynchburg (City) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from the City of Lynchburg.

Processing Information

Loose naturalization records, 1817-1898, were processed and indexed in two separate groups for the purpose of inclusion in the Library of Virginia's Naturalization Records Digital Collection. The first section, ranging from 1817 to 1898 and housed in box 01, were processed and indexed as a distinct unit by Greg Crawford. The second section, ranging from 1843 to 1852 and housed in box 02, were removed from the Lynchburg City Ended Causes and processed and indexed as a distinct unit by McKenzie Long.

Encoded by G. Crawford: August 2013; updated by M. Long: November 2023.

Historical Information

Context for Record Type: Beginning in 1795, a person could declare their intent to become a citizen at any time and in any place after they arrived in the United States. Prior to the Naturalization Act of 1906, the naturalization process primarily occurred in local and state courts. Declarations of intent were the record by which an applicant for U.S. citizenship declared their intent to become a citizen and renounced their allegiance to a foreign government. This document typically preceded proof of residence or a petition to become a citizen by two or more years.

Locality History: Lynchburg, in Campbell County, was named for John Lynch, the owner of the original town site. It was established in 1786, was incorporated as a town in 1805, and became a city in 1852.

Scope and Content

Lynchburg (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1817-1898, consist of loose naturalization records filed in the local court. Loose naturalization records may include affidavits, reports for naturalization, declarations of intent to become United States citizens, and notices of application for admission of citizenship. The reports are narrative accounts made by applicants summarizing their journey to the United States. The declarations of intent record the person's name, place of birth, age, country of previous citizenship, renunciation of allegiance and fidelity to the nation of which the person is currently a citizen, and the date the intention was sworn. Affidavits, signed by those who knew the applicant and could vouch for their loyalty to the United States, may also be filed with the reports and declarations.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Related Material

Additional Lynchburg Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Adjunct Descriptive Data