Petition FOUND - Help

Over 25 million Italians have emigrated between 1861 and 1960 with a migration boom between 1871 and 1915 when over 13,5 million emigrants left the country for European and overseas destinations.
Post Reply
jennabet
Master
Master
Posts: 1396
Joined: 14 Jul 2010, 20:28
Location: Ancestral Homeland - Abruzzo Italy

Petition FOUND - Help

Post by jennabet »

I have found the record for a Petition for Naturalization as follows:

Family Name XXXXXX
Given Name XXXXXX
Date 05/07/1925
Petition Nbr. 7903
Petition Volume
Number 79
Page 3
Record Type Petition
Soundex P600

This immigrant died ten months after the Petition was filed. Does the Petition containing three pages mean that an "Oath of Allegiance" is also included -- or not necessarily? I seem to recall that my own grand-father took the "Oath" sometime after petition was filed.

The immigrant's daughter was born six weeks before her father's death. If he had not completed oAth of Allegiance, Italian citizenship would have passed to her. We are WAITING WITH FINGERS CROSSED THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT FROM nara. Any thoughts?
User avatar
Rodio
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 85
Joined: 19 Nov 2009, 04:51
Location: California

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by Rodio »

It is possible that the oath was never taken, the petitioner could have been rejected...anyone could speculate, but you will only know when you get word from NARA. I hope it all works out well for you.

Buona fortuna.
User avatar
johnnyonthespot
Master
Master
Posts: 5229
Joined: 04 Aug 2008, 15:01
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by johnnyonthespot »

The Petition for Naturalization documents I have seen from the 1930's and 40's are actually printed two-sided, with the basic applicant information on the front; the Witness Affadavits sometimes on the front, sometimes on the back; and the Oath of Allegaiance always on the back.

When the Petition was initally filed, the applicant and witness information would have been filled out and the Oath section left blank. If the Petition was eventually granted, the Oath of Allegiance section would be completed, signed by the applicant and the court official, and the Certificate of Naturalization number written in the space provided.
Carmine

My hobby is finding things. Having found most of my own, I am happy to help others find theirs. PM me! :)
jennabet
Master
Master
Posts: 1396
Joined: 14 Jul 2010, 20:28
Location: Ancestral Homeland - Abruzzo Italy

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by jennabet »

Hi thanks all for your responses. We feel pretty optomistic that he did not take the oath. Will post the outcome as soon as we hear from NARA.
jennabet
Master
Master
Posts: 1396
Joined: 14 Jul 2010, 20:28
Location: Ancestral Homeland - Abruzzo Italy

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by jennabet »

Just tried to track my order on NARA. It was submitted on October 10 and currently is in "Searching mode". "We have received your order and are searching our holdings".

Abut how long does it take them to search? Of course the 10th was a Sunday and Monday, the 11th was a holiday so is three days unreasonable? Does this mean they might not find it?

Waiting patiently.
User avatar
mler
Master
Master
Posts: 2503
Joined: 01 Apr 2006, 00:00

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by mler »

If you have the Petition Number, the search goes very quickly. I received my grandfather's papers within ten days. BTW, my gf naturalized 14 months after the petition was signed.
jennabet
Master
Master
Posts: 1396
Joined: 14 Jul 2010, 20:28
Location: Ancestral Homeland - Abruzzo Italy

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by jennabet »

Yes, I did submit the Petition number. But the status is still "Searching". I would also think they could find it quickly with the Petition number. Is it possible that this particular Petition number could be filed somewhere else other than with NARA?
jennabet
Master
Master
Posts: 1396
Joined: 14 Jul 2010, 20:28
Location: Ancestral Homeland - Abruzzo Italy

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by jennabet »

Carmine, you mentioned that your documents were not held at NARA. Did you have a Petition number for NARA to search with?
User avatar
johnnyonthespot
Master
Master
Posts: 5229
Joined: 04 Aug 2008, 15:01
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by johnnyonthespot »

jennabet wrote:Carmine, you mentioned that your documents were not held at NARA. Did you have a Petition number for NARA to search with?
The NARA researcher told me that they do not have holdings from New York state or county courts; only federal courts. I was able to find both my grandfather's naturalization docs at the Westchester County Archives because, it turns out, both naturalizaed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York at White Plains.

NARA's holdings vary by region. I understand, for example, that NARA does hold state/county naturalizations for Connecticut.

PS: I placed an online order with NARA this past Sunday (the 10th) as well; it was for my wife's ggf who naturalized in the Court of Common Pleas of New Haven, CT in 1902. The archivist telephoned me yesterday morning to say that he had found the record, but for that year Connecticut records do not include any more detail than what I already had from the index card: name, date of birth, country of original citizenship, date of naturalization. And not much more. He offered to cancel the order, which I accepted, thus saving the $7.50 for another day.
Carmine

My hobby is finding things. Having found most of my own, I am happy to help others find theirs. PM me! :)
User avatar
mler
Master
Master
Posts: 2503
Joined: 01 Apr 2006, 00:00

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by mler »

Jennabet, it may be possible that they are having trouble locating the oath, because as you suspect, it may not exist. I'm sure you'll hear soon.
jennabet
Master
Master
Posts: 1396
Joined: 14 Jul 2010, 20:28
Location: Ancestral Homeland - Abruzzo Italy

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by jennabet »

I know that Niagara Falls naturalizations were done at Buffalo. Buffalo IS on the drop down list on the NARA request form so I would think they should find the Petition, especially because I gave them the number. I hope they provide it even though most likely it doesn't contain the Oath. We need just the Petition and the Death Certificate to prove he didn't naturalize.
User avatar
mler
Master
Master
Posts: 2503
Joined: 01 Apr 2006, 00:00

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by mler »

You have other "no record" documents, too, right? The Petition, in and of itself, is not really proof that your ancestor never naturalized. The death certificate may have his citizenship listed but not always.
jennabet
Master
Master
Posts: 1396
Joined: 14 Jul 2010, 20:28
Location: Ancestral Homeland - Abruzzo Italy

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by jennabet »

Yes, I have a letter with seal from USCIS that says he never became a citizen. In this case the Petition minus the oath would be proof enough because he only lived in New York from 1924 to time of death in 1926. Prior to that he lived in Cameron County, PA and I already have letter from them stating no record of naturalization.

This case is not hard to prove because immigrant arrived in 1912 at age 18 and died at age 31. By the way, death was due to Pneumonia while working for Carborundum in New York State. Carborundum then and now makes Asbestos. Probably many young immigrants died from this type of exposure but wern't aware of it.
jennabet
Master
Master
Posts: 1396
Joined: 14 Jul 2010, 20:28
Location: Ancestral Homeland - Abruzzo Italy

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by jennabet »

We will use death certificate to show he died ten months after petition was filed. Normally, ten months was not enough time for immigrant to take the Oath.
User avatar
mler
Master
Master
Posts: 2503
Joined: 01 Apr 2006, 00:00

Re: Petition FOUND - Help

Post by mler »

Also, my grandfather's petition had the date of his oath written on the petition. There is no specific place for this, but, although the entries in the petition were typed, this information is handwritten in across the lower left-hand portion of the document. I agree that it is unlikely that he took the oath within ten months of the petition.
Post Reply