CT-POLISH-L Archives

Archiver > CT-POLISH > 2006-04 > 1143914911


From: Cornelia Andrus <>
Subject: Re: [CT-Polish] Anelia MOCHA / Austria-Poland / b. abt 1888
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2006 10:08:31 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <003501c65556$4a9958f0$97128641@LIVINGROOM>


The numbers that show on the passenger list are most likely citizenship certificate numbers. At some point, when individuals applied for naturalization, their US entry was confirmed by checking the relevant immigration document, the ship list.

If your relative lived in CT at the time she and/or her husband became naturalized, they may have been naturalized in a US (not local, eg Court of Common Pleas) court. The National Archives in Waltham, Massachusetts, has naturalization records for New England state naturalizations performed in US courts. The staff there is very helpful. I would try calling them and see what they can find. They have many, many naturalization records, but not for every year. They did have one of my relatives who was naturalized in the 1940's.

Of course your relative and/or her husband could have been naturlaized in one of the city or county courts, in which case Waltham does not have the records. I'd try there first, tho'. Finding the naturalization record is "paydirt" - tells you when someone arrived, the ship & date, where they came from - the whole nine yards. Maybe not as much fun as searching Ellis Island, but generally much more informative.

My grandfather's sister lived in Meriden, CT, and was naturalized in the 1940's because she worked in the defense industry and needed to be a citizen. She was naturalized in the US court in New Haven, CT, not all that far from Waterbury.

I'd also try contacting the Polish Genealogy Society in New Britain, CT. I find that linking up with organizations that focus on ethnic groups are very very useful. Extended families came from the same locations in Poland, moved to the same places in the US. Societies have info on churches and neighborhoods where Poles lived. Go to:
http://www.pgsctne.org/
I've found this group very very helpful.

Good luck!

Cornelia

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