Puerto Rico, Records of Foreign Residents - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Documentos de Naturalización de Extranjeros en Puerto Rico

Collection Time Period
This collection of foreigners naturalization records in Puerto Rico includes the years 1815-1845.

Record Description
This collection includes requests by foreigners for permission to reside in Puerto Rico (Letters of Domicile), some correspondence, lists of foreigners residing in Puerto Rico, and a few copies of final naturalization papers (Letters of Naturalization). During this time period, Puerto Rico belonged to Spain. Therefore, the documents pertain to foreigners becoming Spanish subjects and are written in Spanish. Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States in 1898. These records were transferred to the National Archives in 1943 and correspond to NARA publication T1170: Extranjeros (Foreigners) in Puerto Rico, 1815-1845. This collection is organized in alphabetical order by surname.

The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 is a legal order approved by the Monarchy of Spain (King Ferdinand VII) in 1815, which contained the regulations for promoting the population, commerce, industry, and agriculture of the Island of Puerto Rico. Because of economic and political issues in Europe, many Spaniards and later Europeans took advantage of this grant, attracted also by the offer of free land to cultivate in the island. The new settlers were given a Letter of Domicile, which allowed them to reside and work legally in the island. After five years of residence in the island, they had a choice to make: become Spanish subjects and be granted a Letter of Naturalization that made them legal citizens, or reject the oath and return to their homelands. The majority of the settlers accepted the naturalization laws.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Immigration and Naturalization Service. Puerto Rico Extranjeros (Foreigners). National Archive of Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in this collection of request for naturalization in Puerto Rico may include:


 * Name of immigrant
 * Names of members of immediate family
 * Country and town of origin
 * Capital amount
 * Place of settlement in Puerto Rico
 * Immigrant trade or profession

How to Use the Record
Use naturalization records to:


 * Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
 * Confirm their date of arrival
 * Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests

You may also find these tips helpful:


 * Look for the Declaration of Intent (Letter of Domicile) soon after the immigrant arrived, and then look for the Naturalization Petition (Letter of Naturalization) five years later when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and then in province, municipality, or city courts.
 * An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different province if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process.
 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for that name before you decide which is correct.
 * Continue to search the naturalization records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have naturalized in the same area or nearby.
 * The witnesses named on naturalization records may have been older relatives of the person in the naturalization process. Search for their naturalizations.
 * You may want to obtain the naturalization records of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors.

If you do not find the name you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings. Realize that the indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings and misinterpretations.
 * Try a different index if there is one for the years needed. You may also need to search the naturalization records year by year.

Why the Record Was Created
Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. These records were created to guarantee the rights of naturalized citizens to all the new settlers.

Record Reliability
Naturalization records are regularly accurate and the information listed reliable. However, some transcription errors or other circumstances may have occurred. Nonetheless, these records are a good source for genealogical research.

Related Websites

 * Historia de Puerto Rico - Real Cédula de Gracias 1815
 * National Archives and Records Administration
 * La Real Cédula de Gracias de 1815 para Puerto Rico por César Guiven Flores

Related Wiki Articles

 * Puerto Rico
 * Puerto Rico Civil Registration

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation Examples for Records Found in This Collection

 * "Delaware Marriage Records," index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org): accessed 4 March 2011, entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.
 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org): accessed 21 March 2011, entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.