Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Seamen's Proof of Citizenship - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Pennsylvania



Record Description
Images of Proofs of Citizenship used to apply for seamen's certificates for the Port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1792-1861. The records correspond to NARA publication M1880 part of Record Group 36 Records of the U.S. Customs Service. The collector of customs issued Seamen's Protection Certificates for sailors on vessels involved in foreign trade. The collection is organized by year then by the name of the seamen.

Record Content
The records usually contain


 * Name of sailor
 * Age
 * Physical description
 * Home residence
 * Signature
 * Date of certificate
 * Name of official

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know


 * Name of the sailor
 * Identifying information such as age or residence

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "Year Range" category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the age and residence to search for birth, census and church records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct.
 * Continue to search the passenger lists to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have immigrated at the same time.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names. You should also look to abbreviated names and nicknames.
 * Look for an index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.

Related Websites

 * National Archives Collection Description M1880
 * National Archives Seamen's Protection Certificates

Related Wiki Articles

 * Pennsylvania
 * Pennsylvania Naturalization and Citizenship

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Image citation: