Immigrants
For many people, tracing their family history will lead them to an ancestor who was born abroad but came to live in the United Kingdom.
The National Archives holds various records of ‘aliens’ coming to the UK over the last 600 years. An alien is someone born outside the country and who does not have English parents (before 1707), or British ones after 1707. English (and Welsh) and Scottish were British after 1707, and from 1801, Irish subjects were British. If immigrants came from a British colony, they were Britons.
There is no comprehensive index of names of immigrants. So what records are available?
The National Archives holds various records of ‘aliens’ coming to the UK over the last 600 years. An alien is someone born outside the country and who does not have English parents (before 1707), or British ones after 1707. English (and Welsh) and Scottish were British after 1707, and from 1801, Irish subjects were British. If immigrants came from a British colony, they were Britons.
There is no comprehensive index of names of immigrants. So what records are available?
Records of Arrival
Available on Ancestry:
www.ancestry.co.uk
Available elsewhere:
www.ancestry.co.uk
- Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878 – 1960 (covers both UK and Irish ports)
- Certificates of Alien Arrivals 1810-1811, 1826-1869
- Aliens Entry Books, 1794 - 1921
Available elsewhere:
- Any documents available at Ancestry are available at the National Archives
- Early records relating to alien arrivals may be found in local county archives among Quarter Session papers.
Records After Arrival
Particularly in times of war the Aliens Department, established in 1913. continued to take an interest in aliens after their arrival.
Alien registration cards and registers of aliens from 1918
The National Archives holds records from the London area, and local county archives should be consulted for their areas.
However these are only released if the individual is deceased.
Birth, baptism, marriage, death amd burial registers, 1567-1970
Most immigrants would have retained the religion of their homeland and as such where births, marriages, deaths and burials are recorded, they are in non-parochial registers, held by the National Archives:
The RG 4 records are available on the Genealogist website.
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/
Records of citizenship: denizations and naturalisation
The National Archives holds records of naturalisation up to 1 October 1986. Records after this remain with the Home Office.
Denization is a process akin to gaining permanent residency status. This process was granted by the issuing of letters patent, and so required payment, making it the preserve of the wealthy.
The Huguenot Society website includes information about tracing individual immigrants, not just Huguenots, including indexes of naturalisations by private Act of Parliament up to 1800.
https://www.huguenotsociety.org.uk/
The original naturalisation acts are kept at the Parliamentary Archives,
https://archives.parliament.uk/
The Westminster denization roll is held at Westminster Abbey Muniments and Library.
https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/library-research
First and Secon World War records
Aliens believed to be a threat to British security were interned. Findmypast holds “Britain, Enemy Aliens and Internees, First and Second World Wars”.
www.findmypast.co.uk
The National Archives holds the records of the London Reception Centre at the Royal Patriotic Schools, which were set up to screen aliens arriving between January 1941 – June 1945. These do not contain the records of many individual persons.
Earlier records, 13th to early 19th centuries:
The earliest references to immigrants in England are in records of Chancery and the Exchequer.
England’s Immigrants database will let you search for records of immigrants living in England between 1330 and 1550.
https://www.englandsimmigrants.com/
Records of esrly-18th century German Protestant refugees:
German Palatines came from the Middle Rhine region of what is now Germany, but was, in the early 18th century, part of the Holy Roman Empire. Thousands of them emigrated to England in 1709. Names can be found in Treasury in-letters T1/119, also SP 84 and CO 5/1230 -1231.
Records of French emigres, 1789 to 1814
In 1793 the Aliens Act introduced the first official immigrant registration system. It was introduced to manage the influx of people coming to Britain to escape the French Revolution. Records can be found in HO 69, PC 1, FO 95 and WO 1.
For the determined researcher:
A trip to the National Archives will be required to study the records available from 13th century onwards in the following departments:
Chancery records
State papers can be searched on line at:
https://www.gale.com/intl/primary-sources/state-papers-online Charges apply.
Or at British History Online, which is free to use until 31st July 2020.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/
Records in other archives not listed above:
The London Metropolitan Archives :
https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/Pages/default.aspx
The Bodleian Library Oxford:
https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley
Cambridge University Library :
https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley
Lambeth Palace Library, London :
https://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/
The National Archives of Ireland :
https://www.nationalarchives.ie/
There is also a wealth of books that have been written on the subject, and on particular aspects of this very broad topic.
The National Archives library, would be a good place to start your search for an appropriate reference book.
https://tna.koha-ptfs.co.uk/
Alien registration cards and registers of aliens from 1918
The National Archives holds records from the London area, and local county archives should be consulted for their areas.
However these are only released if the individual is deceased.
Birth, baptism, marriage, death amd burial registers, 1567-1970
Most immigrants would have retained the religion of their homeland and as such where births, marriages, deaths and burials are recorded, they are in non-parochial registers, held by the National Archives:
- registers of births and baptisms, marriages and burials for various periods between 1567 and 1857
- records formerly kept in the French, Dutch, German and Swiss churches in London and elsewhere (in RG 4)
- the archive of the Russian Orthodox Church in London, 1721–1927 (in RG 8), which contains more than just birth, marriage and death registers
The RG 4 records are available on the Genealogist website.
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/
Records of citizenship: denizations and naturalisation
The National Archives holds records of naturalisation up to 1 October 1986. Records after this remain with the Home Office.
Denization is a process akin to gaining permanent residency status. This process was granted by the issuing of letters patent, and so required payment, making it the preserve of the wealthy.
The Huguenot Society website includes information about tracing individual immigrants, not just Huguenots, including indexes of naturalisations by private Act of Parliament up to 1800.
https://www.huguenotsociety.org.uk/
The original naturalisation acts are kept at the Parliamentary Archives,
https://archives.parliament.uk/
The Westminster denization roll is held at Westminster Abbey Muniments and Library.
https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/library-research
First and Secon World War records
Aliens believed to be a threat to British security were interned. Findmypast holds “Britain, Enemy Aliens and Internees, First and Second World Wars”.
www.findmypast.co.uk
The National Archives holds the records of the London Reception Centre at the Royal Patriotic Schools, which were set up to screen aliens arriving between January 1941 – June 1945. These do not contain the records of many individual persons.
Earlier records, 13th to early 19th centuries:
The earliest references to immigrants in England are in records of Chancery and the Exchequer.
England’s Immigrants database will let you search for records of immigrants living in England between 1330 and 1550.
https://www.englandsimmigrants.com/
Records of esrly-18th century German Protestant refugees:
German Palatines came from the Middle Rhine region of what is now Germany, but was, in the early 18th century, part of the Holy Roman Empire. Thousands of them emigrated to England in 1709. Names can be found in Treasury in-letters T1/119, also SP 84 and CO 5/1230 -1231.
Records of French emigres, 1789 to 1814
In 1793 the Aliens Act introduced the first official immigrant registration system. It was introduced to manage the influx of people coming to Britain to escape the French Revolution. Records can be found in HO 69, PC 1, FO 95 and WO 1.
For the determined researcher:
A trip to the National Archives will be required to study the records available from 13th century onwards in the following departments:
Chancery records
- Alien clergy
- Foreign merchants
- 1229 -1483 King’s Remembrancer
- 1523 -1561 Exchequer subsidy rolls
- 1207 – 1830 Exchequer accounts various
- 1547 – 1553 Edward VI
- 1553 – 1558 Mary I
- 1558 – 1603 Elizabeth I
- 1547 - 1624 Elizabeth I – large documents
- 1603 - 1640 James I
- 1547 - 1622 addenda
- 1232 - 1665 Charles I
- 1649 – 1660 interregnum
- 1649 – 1688 Charles II
State papers can be searched on line at:
https://www.gale.com/intl/primary-sources/state-papers-online Charges apply.
Or at British History Online, which is free to use until 31st July 2020.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/
- Parliament or patent rolls 1400 -1844
- Treasury in-letters 1556- 1745
Records in other archives not listed above:
The London Metropolitan Archives :
https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/Pages/default.aspx
The Bodleian Library Oxford:
https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley
Cambridge University Library :
https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley
Lambeth Palace Library, London :
https://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/
The National Archives of Ireland :
https://www.nationalarchives.ie/
There is also a wealth of books that have been written on the subject, and on particular aspects of this very broad topic.
The National Archives library, would be a good place to start your search for an appropriate reference book.
https://tna.koha-ptfs.co.uk/
Printable Files
| handout_immigration.pdf |
