Pages

May 21, 2012

The Joy of Holding History in Your Hands

As genealogists, we’re taught to always seek the original record whenever possible, rather than relying solely on a transcription, abstract, index, or database for information. That’s because the original might reveal additional information, expose errors made in the transcribing or abstracting process, and help put the record into context. But another benefit has to be the sheer thrill of seeing and touching a document that an ancestor created.

I recently was able to view the declaration of intention to naturalize that my great-great-grandfather, John Herrel, filed at the Hamilton County Probate Court in 1881. The county’s surviving citizenship records are held at the University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Books Library. You can read about the online database in which I discovered the record in my previous post, Planning My Visit to the University of Cincinnati Archives. I also talked briefly about my experiences at the library in A Fine First Day in Cincinnati.

The provenance of the records in this collection, as explained in “Hamilton County Citizenship Records, 1837-1916” on the UC Archives website, is an interesting one: “This collection of immigration records includes original and restored Declarations of Intention to Naturalize and Naturalization papers filed in Hamilton County approximately between 1837 and 1916. During a riot in 1884 the courthouse was burned and many records series were destroyed. A great number of the citizenship documents were lost forever but a significant number survived and others were restored.”

Due to the fragile nature of the documents, photocopying them is not permitted. I was, however, allowed to take a picture with my digital camera, and the GeniusScan app on my iPhone gave me a nice image.


Transcription:
Declaration of Intention
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

THE STATE OF OHIO,
HAMILTON COUNTY

Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, Probate Judge and Ex-Officio Clerk of the PROBATE COURT within and for the County of Hamilton aforesaid
John Herrel
a native of Germany
aged about 21 years, bearing allegiance to the Emperor of Germany
who emigrated from Havre on the 7th day of August
1880 and arrived at New York on the 29th
day of August 1880, and who intends to reside within the jurisdiction and under
the GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, to-wit:

And he makes report of himself for NATURALIZATION, and declares on oath
that it is bona fide his intention to become a CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
and to forever renounce and abjure all ALLEGIANCE AND FIDELITY to every Foreign Prince, Potentate, State and Sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to the
Emperor of Germany
(John Herrel)

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 25th day of March 1881
                                             Isaac B. Matson
                                             Probate Judge and Ex-Officio Clerk
         By Henry Rechtin
         Deputy Clerk

I HEREBY CERTIFY the foregoing to be a true copy of the original record.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed
The Seal of said Court, at Cincinnati, the day and year last above written.
                                             Isaac B. Matson
                                             Probate Judge and Ex-Officio Clerk
         By Henry Rechtin
         Deputy Clerk


In this case, the online database had accurately extracted all the pertinent information from the record. I didn’t discover anything new by viewing it in person. But that didn’t diminish the joy of holding a 131-year-old document, especially one that had somehow managed to survive a courthouse fire, in my own hands.


Citation:
Hamilton County, Ohio, Citizenship Records, 1837-1916: loose items arranged alphabetically; see folder 24 (Heri-Hez), for 25 March 1881 declaration of intention by John Herrel; University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Books Library, Cincinnati.

12 comments:

  1. I loved your title - it coveyed so much the excitement that comes from seeing, reading and touching an historical document relating to an ancestor written in their lifetime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Susan. I came up with the title last, as I was thinking about what the whole experience meant to me. It's not as much about the information as it is about the excitement of seeing it first hand, like you said.

      Delete
  2. I totally agree with you, Shelley, about holding a bit of your family's history in your own hands--if even for only a moment. It was a trembly, breath-taking experience when at an archive in Indiana, the staff brought out a file containing my husband's great-great grandfather's Declaration of Intention. Though he only signed it with a "mark" it was like we could actually touch him through that paper. It's an experience that can't really be put into words.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it amazing how you feel a connection through a piece of paper? Here's hoping we both have many more of these kinds of moments!

      Delete
  3. How wonderful for you, Shelley, to have had his naturalization paper in your hands. He touched it, you touched it - almost like a handshake, huh?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a neat way of thinking of it, Nancy! It IS sort of like a handshake, reaching out over the ages.

      Delete
  4. Yes, it is exciting to hold the actual document in your hands. It's a kind of miracle that documents and objects can span all those years--on WDYTYA, I often marvel at records that could have crumbled to dust by now, if people had not worked to preserve them. I love the old language, too: "bona fide his intention," and "renounce and abjure." Thank you for writing this post, Shelley!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some of those documents they show on WDYTYA are truly amazing, aren't they? It makes me realize the debt of gratitude I owe to the people who saved things from years gone by, and to the archivists who preserve them for us.

      Delete
  5. Wow! I can totally understand the joy and excitement you must have felt to see and hold this priceless document in person. I recently found my great-grandfather's Doctoral Diploma of Dentistry from 1896. To actually hold and read such a valuable genealogical treasure is truly amazing! Congratulations on your awesome find!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is a cool treasure, Jana! Especially knowing how proud he must have been of it. I'm still looking for something to document an ancestor who was said to be a Yale-educated doctor in the 1840's. I'd give anything to find his diploma!

      Delete
  6. What good fortune! I enjoyed your article and agree with you wholeheartedly -- there is NOTHING like holding history in your hands!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks, Denise! It's those kind of moments that make me feel like genealogy is the most amazing thing I could do.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for reading my blog! I welcome and appreciate your comments.