Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Warwick County (Va.) and Newport News (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1824-1911. Local government records collection, Newport News (City)/Warwick County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Newport News.

Historical Information

Warwick County (extinct) was named either for Robert Rich, earl of Warwick, a prominent member of the London Company, or for the county of Warwick in England. The county was originally called Warwick River and was one of the original shires, or counties, first enumerated in 1634. The shorter name was adopted in 1643. Warwick County became extinct in 1952, when it became the city of Warwick. The new city was consolidated with the city of Newport News in 1958 and took the latter's name. Denbigh was the county seat.

County court records were destroyed at several times with most destruction occurring during the Civil War. The clerk's office was burned on 15 December 1864. County court minute books and loose records from 1787 to 1819 were destroyed by the fire. Additional records were burned in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War.

Newport News was located in Warwick County, which is now extinct. The origin of the name is uncertain but the phrase "Newportes News" appeared in documents as early as 1619 and probably commemorated Christopher Newport, who made five voyages to Virginia between 1607 and 1619. Newport News was a small settlement until late in the nineteenth century, when it became the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The Old Dominion Land Company bought land there in 1880 and began laying out a new village in October. Newport News was incorporated as a city by act of the General Assembly in 1896 without ever having been incorporated as a town. On 1 July 1958 Newport News was enlarged by consolidation with the city of Warwick, which then became extinct.

Prior to 1906, naturalizations could be recorded in any court — federal, state, county, or city. 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. A declaration of intention normally preceded proof of residence or a petition to become a citizen by two or more years. 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.

Scope and Content

Warwick County (Va.) and Newport News (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1824-1911, include 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. Also found in the collection are affivdavits filed with the reports and declarations. They were given by individuals who knew the applicant and could vouch for their loyalty to the United States. Declarations of intent from other states such as Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island are found in the collection. The notices for applications are lists of individuals who have petitioned the court for naturalization. Information included in the lists are name of petitioner, place of birth, residence, date of arrival in the United States, place of arrival, date of hearing, and name and residence of witnesses.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date naturalization record was recorded.

Related Material

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

Warwick County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Warwick County Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection available at Virginia Memory.

For more information and a listing of lost records localities see Lost Records research note .

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Newport News (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Immigrants -- Virginia -- Newport News.
• Immigrants -- Virginia -- Warwick County.
• Naturalization -- Virginia -- Newport News.
• Naturalization -- Virginia -- Warwick County.

Geographical Names:

• Newport News (Va.) -- History.
• Warwick County (Va.) -- History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records -- Virginia -- Newport News.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Warwick County
• Naturalization records -- Virginia. -- Newport News.
• Naturalization records -- Virginia. -- Warwick County.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Warwick County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Adjunct Descriptive Data