Nature of Source
Lists of people born overseas and residing in England during the 16th and 17th centuries. Aliens are listed in the State Papers in the 16th and 17th centuries and many of these were Protestant Huguenots escaping persecution from the largely Catholic Low Countries and France. Many of these names have been indexed and published by the Huguenot Society or calendared. Lay Subsidy Rolls provide lists of aliens as they were liable to a special tax on aliens charged at double the rate.
Where Found
The National Archives (SP 10, The State Papers, Domestic, Edward VI; SP 11, State Papers Domestic, Mary I; SP 12 and SP 13, State Papers Domestic, Elizabeth I; SP 14, State Papers Domestic, James I; SP 15, State Papers Domestic, Edward VI-James I; SP 16, State Papers Domestic, Charles I; SP 18; State Papers Domestic, Civil War and Interregnum; SP 29 and SP 30, State Papers Domestic, Charles II. [These series includes surveys and registers of strangers or aliens mainly in London but also the regions]; SP 44/67, returns of foreign residents in London, 1678)
Period Covered
1529 – 1639
Genealogical Value
- Names, ages, addresses, occupations and family relationships.
- Country and place of origin.
Further References
- Cooper, William Durrant (ed). List of Foreign Protestants and Aliens Resident in England, 1618–1688: From Returns in the State Paper Office: Camden Society, 1862
- Goose, Nigel & Luu, Lien (eds). Immigrants in Tudor and Early Stuart England: Sussex Academic Press, 2005
- Kershaw, Roger & Pearsall, Mark. Immigrants And Aliens: A Guide to Sources On UK Immigration and Citizenship: PRO Publications, 2000
- Kirk, Richard Edward Gent & Kirk, Ernest (eds). Returns of Aliens Dwelling in the City and Suburbs of London from the Reign of Henry VIII to that of James I: Aberdeen, 1908 (Names extracted from State Papers and include Returns of Aliens, members of French and Dutch churches and lists of refugees settled in other parts of the country. The contents is included in the Quarto Series published by the Huguenot Society)
- Knighton, Charles Stephen. Calendar of State Papers Domestic Series of the Reign of Edward VI 1547-1553: London, 1992
- Lemon, Robert & Green, Mary Anne Everett (eds). Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, of the Reigns of Edward VI, Mary, Elizabeth and James I: Longman (Vols I to V indexed)
- Scouloudi, Irene. Returns of Strangers in the Metropolis, 1593, 1627, 1635, 1639: A Study of an Active Minority, Huguenot Society of London, 1985 (The contents is included in the Quarto Series published by the Huguenot Society)
- Worman, Ernest James. Alien Members of The Book-Trade During the Tudor Period: Being an Index to Those Whose Names Occur in the Returns of Aliens, Letters of Denization, and other Documents Published by the Huguenot Society: London 1906 (available to download or read online at the Internet Archive)
TNA Research Guide: Immigration
TNA Research Guide: Naturalisation and British citizenship
Search the Internet Archive and Google Books for non-copyright editions of Calendars of State Papers or subscribe to British History Online for many searchable editions of Calendars.
Websites
https://family.jrank.org/pages/1831/aliens-returns.html (Aliens, returns of: Immigrants in Tudor and Early Stuart England)
https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20131105215903/http://www.movinghere.org.uk//default.htm (Moving Here Web Archive: Histories of immigrant communities including Jewish, Caribbean, Irish and South Asian. Collections include digitised documents and photos with a section of Acts of Parliament dealing with Migration and Naturalisation)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/immigration (The National Archives Research Guide: How to look for records of Immigration and immigrants. This guide provides advice on how to locate records of immigrants to England and Britain from the 13th century onwards)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/naturalisation-british-citizenship (The National Archives Research Guide: How to look for records of Naturalisation, registration and British citizenship. Use this guide if you are looking for records of how, when or if a person obtained British citizenship up to October 1986)
www.genuki.org.uk/big/Emigration (GENUKI: UK and Ireland: Emigration and Immigration. Links to sources relevant to immigration)
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Collections-Research/Research/Your-Research/X20L/Themes/1386 (Museum of London Exploring 20th century London: Migration and Citizenship)
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Collections-Research/Research/Your-Research/X20L/Themes/1386/1081 (Museum of London Exploring 20th century London: Aliens Acts 1905 and 1919)
www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Aliens_and_Immigrants_in_England_and_Wales (FamilySearch Research Wiki; Aliens and Immigrants in England and Wales)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/blackhistory (Black Presence: Asian and Black History in Britain, 1500-1850)
www.genealogylinks.net/uk/index.html (Links to online genealogy records including passenger lists)
www.agfhs.com (Anglo-German Family History Society. The Society welcomes all those who are interested in researching the genealogy or family history of people from the German-speaking parts of Europe who have emigrated over the centuries and settled in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland)
www.anglo-italianfhs.org.uk (Anglo-Italian Family History Society)
Online Databases
www.ancestry.co.uk (Alien Arrivals, 1810-1811, 1826-1869; Lists of aliens, non-British citizens, arriving in England between 1810 and 1869 extracted from series FO 83/21-22, HO 2, HO 3 and CUST 102/393-396)
www.sog.org.uk/search-records (SoG Data Online: Polish Refugee subsistence and genealogical data. Members of the Society of Genealogists are able to view these records for free via their existing membership. Non-members can carry out free surname searches but will need to join the society to view the full record details)
www.ancestry.co.uk (Edinburgh, Scotland, Alien Registers, 1794, 1798-1825. This collection contains registries of aliens living in Edinburgh, Scotland from 1794 up to and including 1825. The majority of records are associated with French migrants but not limited to people of French heritage. It was compulsory for aliens of all ethnicities to register)
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/24885/registers-of-aliens-1798-1825 (Edinburgh City Archives: Registers of Aliens 1798-1825. This online Index allows you to carry out a free text search to discover, for example, whether any of your ancestors came to Edinburgh during this turbulent time)
CD Roms
Huguenot Society (Quarto Series: CD-ROM 3: Denization & Naturalisation)
