Denization

Denization was the granting of the protection of the Crown to an alien living in the kingdom. Granting denization was by letters patent, and grants can be found on the Patent Rolls in C 66 and C 67. Grants of denization and names of denizens can be found in the Calendars of Patent Rolls. Signet bills, ordering the grants of denization to be drawn up, can be found summarized in the Signet Office Docquet Books in SO 3 from 1584 to 1844. These are indexed by name of applicants in SO 4. A duplicate series of docquet books can be found in the State Papers in SP 38 from 1541 to 1761, king´s bills in SP 39 for 1567 to 1645 and in SO 7 for 1661 to 1851. Some warrants can be found in the State Paper Entry Books in SP 44.

Later papers relating to denization can be found in HO 1/6-12 from 1801 to 1840. These include petitions and correspondence. HO 44/44-49 contains a selection of reports, petitions and affidavits for denizations from 1801 to 1832. Denization did not confer the full rights of a natural born subject. Denizens could not hold public office and could not inherit land. Children born after the grant did have full rights, but not those born before it. The vast majority of aliens did not go through any formal process of denization or naturalisation. The denization process was superseded by the simplified naturalisation procedures of the nineteenth century.