Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Tazewell County (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1891. Local government records collection, Tazewell 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 Tazewell County.

Historical Information

Tazewell County was named for Henry Tazewell, United States senator from Virginia from 1794 until his death in 1799. It was formed from Wythe and Russell Counties by an act passed on 19 December 1799 to take effect on 1 May 1800, and the county court first met on 3 June 1800. Subsequent additions were made from Logan (now in West Virginia) in 1834, Russell (1807), Wythe (1826), and Washington (1826) Counties. The county seat is Tazewell.

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

Tazewell County (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1891, include declarations of intent and reports to become United States citizens and notices of application for admission of citizenship. 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.

Arrangement

Arranged chronological.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Tazewell County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Immigrants -- Virginia -- Tazewell County.
• Naturalization -- Virginia -- Tazewell County.

Geographical Names:

• Tazewell County (Va.) -- History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records -- Virginia -- Tazewell County.
• Naturalization records -- Virginia. -- Tazewell County.