Migrant Ancestors

What is a Migrant Ancestor?

An ancestor that moved about. It might be somebody who moved from one house to another, from one village to another, from a village to a town, or from one town to a city. They might have moved around in a circular movement, or they might have moved in a straight line. They might have done it in one generation. They might have done it over several generations, and that's what makes it so fun tracking them down. Equally, they might have emigrated.

Does everyone have a migrant ancestry?

People with British roots can be found all over the world. Obviously from a colonial point of view in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. And of course we've got immigrants as well coming to this country from elsewhere, with roots particularly in Europe for example. It's extremely unusual for a family to have stayed in any one place for more than a generation. If I think about my own for example, I started off in the Lake District, I went to university in the Midlands, I came down to London to seek a job and I then live in Suffolk. So that's just one person's lifetime. It's always a good idea to think of your own lifestyle patterns and then you will realize what people did in the past. They didn't stay in one place, they did move around for whatever reason.

What are Naturalisation Records?

A Naturalization Record is when somebody who was born abroad wishes to become a citizen of the country, where they've actually become domiciled and it gives them full rights to citizenship. In this country the naturalization papers for aliens wishing to become naturalized citizens are kept in the National Archives, and there is a personal name index to those available online.

What if I need to trace Naturalisation Papers in the USA?

For people who were naturalized in America, we would first of all try the Natural Archives in Washington DC.