Ireland Naturalization and Citizenship

Naturalization is the process of granting the rights, protection, privileges, and responsibilities of native subjects to foreign immigrants. Irish naturalization required an act of Parliament. A less-expensive alternative to naturalization was denization, a process granting all the rights of a subject, except the right to inherit property or to hold public office. A denizen simply paid a fine (fee) and took an oath of allegiance. Generally, denization or naturalization was granted only to male adults.

No complete series of naturalization records exists, but the following sources list many of those who were naturalized or became denizens:

Lodge, John. Denizations of the Irish, Scots, and Other Foreigners (Richard II - George I): Lists of Persons to Whom Grants of English Livery (Liberty) or Denization Were Made. National Archives, Dublin, Ireland. Lodge Manuscripts. This manuscript lists people who became denizens of Ireland.

Lodge, John. ''A List of Protestants Who in Pursuance of an Act of Parliament, 13 Charles II, for Encouraging Protestant Strangers and Others to Inhibit and Plant ye Kingdom of Ireland, Took the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy Whereby They Became Liege, Free and Natural Subjects of Ireland. . . .'' National Archives, Dublin, Ireland. Lodge Manuscripts. This manuscript lists people who were naturalized in Ireland. The information from this manuscript can be found in Brian W. Christmas, presenter, "Some Protestant Settlers in Ireland, 1662-1737," The Irish Genealogist 7, no. 3 (1988): 349-57. (FHL book 941.5 B2ig.)

Shaw, William A., ed. "Letters of Denization and Acts of Naturalization for Aliens in England and Ireland, 1603-1800." In The Publications of the Huguenot Society of London. The Huguenot Society of London. (FHL book 942.1/L1 B4h.) Denization and naturalization records for 1603-1700 are found in volume 18 (Lymington, England: Chas. T. King, 1911) of the society's publications. Records for 1701-1800 are found in volume 27 (Manchester, England: Sherrat and Hughes, 1923) and in a supplement in volume 35 (Frome: Butler and Tanner, 1932).

Stewart, Rev. David, ed. Scots in Ulster, Their Denization and Naturalization, 1605-1634. Belfast, Ireland: Presbyterian Historical Society. (Not at Family History Library.) These three pamphlets are at the Presbyterian Historical Society at http://www.presbyterianireland.org/phsi/. They list Scots from the province of Ulster who received letters patent (open for public inspection) of denization or were naturalized by an act of Parliament between 1605 and 1634.

Few immigrants to Ireland went through the legal formalities of naturalization or denization and so most do not appear in naturalization or denization records. See the "Emigration and Immigration" section of this outline for other records on people who immigrated to Ireland.

The Family History Library's holdings of denization and naturalization records are listed in the Place Search of the catalog under:

IRELAND - NATURALIZATION AND CITIZENSHIP