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daft question needs an answer please

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Elaine

Elaine Report 18 Jul 2010 20:45

hi all
i know this sounds daft but what does it mean on a census form when it says German British Subject.
does it mean the childs father was a german or british or something else???
thanks for your thoughts
elaine

mgnv

mgnv Report 18 Jul 2010 20:57

The person was born in Germany, but was a British Subject - most likely because their father was a British Subject, but they could have gotten naturalized.

Martin

Martin Report 18 Jul 2010 20:58

Hi Elaine

I am not sure. I think it means the child was born in Germany but one or both parents were British.

Martin.

Elaine

Elaine Report 18 Jul 2010 21:05

hi all,

so the child was born in germany the mother was possible german they were living in london in 1901 the child being born in germany abt 1893.
ok or the father was as he is not with the family in 1901 so did he stay in germany or was it a fling i dont think they married
thanks for help
elaine

Jonesey

Jonesey Report 18 Jul 2010 21:42

If a woman born British in Britain married a foreigner either in Britain or overseas they automatically adopted their husbands nationality. This applied even if the couple remained in Britain or returned to Britain from abroad. Any children the couple had no matter where born were considered to be of the same nationality as their father.

The term German British Subject is quite commonly found on census records around 1900 as there was a considerable influx of Germans into Britain in the latter half of the 19th century.

Within my wifes family her great grandmother was born in Birmingham of British parents. She married a German and thus technically became a German citizen on marriage even whilst both remained in England. When her husband died in 1904 she remained a German national until in 1916, when, prompted no doubt by the anti German feeling caused by WW1, she applied to the Home office for naturalisation as a full British subject again. The Home office granted her application issuing her with a Naturalisation certificate of which I have a copy.

Researching:
Don't put off until tomorrow doing what you can do today. If you like doing it today you can do it again tomorrow. Be kind to your children for it is they who will decide which care home you end up in.

Elaine

Elaine Report 18 Jul 2010 22:06

hi jonesey,

thanks for this info it all very interesting i cannot find a birth for the childs father so i am now thinking in light of what you have said that his father was german.
thank you
elaine

Battenburg

Battenburg Report 19 Jul 2010 01:47

Thanks Jonesey. A wealth of knowledge as usual