NATURALIZATIONS OF VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Certificates of Citizenship

The records are kept by Ventura County Superior Court. Witnesses are recorded because they were frequently relatives or good friends. Between 1855 and the Cable Act of 1922 a woman automatically became a citizen either by marrying a citizen or by the naturalization of her husband. Only single women age 21 or older needed to apply for citizenship.

Book 2: On the first page is the following note: “Book 2, Naturalizations – Ventura County, Certificate of Citizenship, Alien pages 1-64, Minor pages 30-345 [indicated with (M)], Soldier pages 397-398.” The book covers 1873-1879 and appears to consist of copies of certificates pasted onto pages, since the certificate number does not always match the page number. There are no pages numbered 65-308.

Book 4: Covered are certificates for 1880-1902. Most certificates do not have a certificate number. Those are indicated with NC. The handwriting was frequently difficult to read. If the name is signed differently than the clerk’s spelling, it is included secondly, with a slash. Certificates 174-200 are missing. Certificate 201 starts the Minor (M) listings. Since children under 16 acquire citizenship through the naturalization of their parents, the minor listings are probably young men between the ages of 16 and 21. Soldier certificates (S) start on page 261.

Book 5: There are only 4 entries in Book 5. Aliens (A) appear on pages 1-2. A minor (M) appears on page 201 only.