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From: "Roy Day" <>
Subject: Re: [HWE] La Force
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 13:14:15 +0100
References: <009801c15aab$eae3f540$4a8bcdd1@datasync>


Louise wrote on Monday, October 22, 2001 4:44 AM

| Do you know if all the Huguenot refugees that settled in England and in
the American colonies had to be naturalized to
| become citizens? Did they have to become citizens? Would there be records
somewhere?
| Rene La Force was employed by the English government of the colony of
Virginia. I believe the law stated that anyone involved in the Court system
in any manner must be an English citizen, so I feel he must have been
naturalized either in England or in the colonies.
| Would anyone know how persons of foreign birth became naturalized in
English colonies?
| Also, when did the Protestant Relief Society began assisting groups of
Huguenots to settle in other countries
| and what records of their effort are available--other than the records of
La Providence?

I am not really qualified to answer your question but maybe others on the
list are?

The greater number of Huguenot immigrants to England became Denizised rather
than Naturalised. This was because they felt their stay in England would be
a short one and they would be returning to France, therefore they did not
wish to renounce their nationality. Obviously their children were British
by birth and if these were the people that emigrated to the States then they
would have been English anyway.

I have checked the Register of Denization and Naturalisation in England and
Ireland for the period 1603 - 1700 and the name LA FORCE does not appear.
There are a two further set of records covering the period 1509 - 1603 and
1701 - 1800 but I do not possess these. They are however available on film
through the LDS.

Any other list members able to contribute?

Roy

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