Canada, British Columbia, Naturalization Records, 1859-1926

What is in This Collection?

This collection includes records from 1859 to 1926. These records include naturalizations from the counties of Victoria and Cranbrook, British Columbia. They include applications, oaths of allegiance, naturalization certificates and other documents. The Canadian Citizenship Act of January 1, 1947 introduced Canadian citizenship to Canada. Prior to that time Canadians who were born in the United Kingdom were considered British subjects.

Immigrants to Canada have never been required to apply for citizenship. Some nationalities were more likely to naturalize than others. Until 1947, settlers from Britain were considered citizens of Canada without needing to naturalize. Of those from other countries who applied, some did not complete the requirements for citizenship. Evidence that an immigrant completed citizenship requirements can be found in censuses, court minutes, homestead records, passports, voting registers, and military papers. British Columbia did not join Canada until 1871 so naturalization and citizenship were handled by the colonial government(s) before 1871. The earliest naturalization records are Oaths of Allegiance signed from 1859 and are in the British Columbia Archives. Naturalization records may be an important piece in discovering your family's history.

These records may contain information about where your ancestor came from, which is the most valuable piece of information when tracing them in their homeland. Without a place of origin, previous generations cannot be identified with much solidarity. Naturalization records may also give information on your ancestor's immigration, such as the date he or she arrived or the ship he or she rode on. These are all valuable pieces of information if you were to look for an ancestor's name in a passenger list.

There are indexes available in the Cranbook records. The indexes are located in the file folder, Index Box 1 to Box 9, 1905-1923. Find your ancestor's name and look for the box, file and folio numbers located by their name. This is the information you will use to find your ancestor in the collection. The numbers you are looking for are located at the bottom of each page. In addition, Christopher J. P. Hanna developed an index to British Columbia Naturalizations from 1859-1882 [Title: BCARS, GR 1554, British Columbia Archives, no date of publication]. This is available at the British Columbia Genealogical Society Library or through other libraries. Also, a British Columbia Genealogical Society volunteer is indexing the earliest British Columbia naturalizations and this index is available on the British Columbia Genealogical Society's Research Projects web page and is being updated as indexing continues.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

After 1915, records may also include birth dates, birthplaces and other information about the immigrant and the immigrant’s family.

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  Naturalization Certificate 1896

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  Testimony of Witness 1871

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  Testimony of Witness 1871

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  Oath of Residence 1899