UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
State of Illinois, Woodford County, SS
Be it Remembered, That on the <26th> day of <September> in the Year of our Lord
One Thousand Eight Hundred and <Seventy-two> personally appeared before <Bazel D. Meek>
Presiding Judge of the County Court of the County of Woodford and State aforesaid, (the same being a Court of
Record, having and exercising common law jurisdiction, a Seal and a Clerk,) and sitting judicially for the
dispatch of business at the Court House, <Charles Gaisford> an alien-born, free, white male
person, above the age of twenty-one years, and applied to the said Court to be admitted to become a Naturalized
Citizen of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, pursuant to the several acts of Congress heretofore passed
on that subject, entitled " An Act to establish a uniform rule of Naturalization, and to repeal the acts heretofore
passed on that subject," approved the 14th day of April, 1802: An Act entitled " An Act in addition to an Act to
establish a uniform rule of Naturalization, and to repeal the acts heretofore passed on that subject," approved on
the 26th day of March, 1804: An Act entitled " An Act supplementary to the acts heretofore passed on the subject of
a uniform rule of Naturalization, passed the 30th day of July, 1813: the Act relative to evidence in cases of
Naturalization, passed the 22nd day of March, 1816: And an Act in further addition to an Act to establish a uniform
rule of Naturalization, and repeal the acts heretofore passed on that subject, passed May 26, 1824: and the said
<Charles Gaisford> having thereupon produced to the Court Record testimony showing that he
has resided in the United States three years next preceding his arrival at the age of twenty-one years and to the
present time, that for three years last passed it has been bona-fide his intention to become a citizen of the United
States according to the provisions of the several acts of Congress, and the Court being satisfied, as well from the oath
of the said <Charles Gaisford> as from the testimony of <Tom Pickard>
and <A. Pickard> who are known to be citizens of the United States, that the said
<Charles Gaisford> has resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States
for at least five years last past, and at least one year last past in the State of Illinois, and that during the whole of
that time he has behaved himself as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles contained in the
Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order, well-being and happiness of the same.
IT WAS ORDERED that the said <Charles Gaisford> be permitted to take the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and the usual oath whereby he renounced all allegiance and fidelity to every
foreign Prince, Potentate, State and Sovereignty whatever, and more particularly to <the Queen of England>
whereof he was heretofore a subject, which said oath having been administered to the said <Charles Gaisford>
by the Clerk of said Court, it was ordered by the Court that the said
<Charles Gaisford> be admitted to all and singular the rights, privileges and immunities of a Natu-
ralized citizen of the United States, and that the same be certified by the Clerk of this Court, under the seal of the
Court accordingly.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, The seal of the said Court is hereto affixed at the Clerk's office at Metamora,
this <26th> day of <September> A. D. 1872, and of the Independence
of these United States the <Ninety Seventh>
By order of the Court,
{Seal} Attest, <Henry C. Dent> Clerk of the County Court of Woodford County,
By Peter Amicker Dpty
Charles Gaisford was one of my last direct ancestors to immigrate to the US. His youngest brother was born in Rhode Island in 1859. In 1872 when Charles filed for citizenship he was 30 years old with 3 young children. His witnesses Tom and A. Pickard are his brother-in-law and his sister Anna Pickard. Henrietta, Charles' wife, was a descendant of colonialists in British America as early as the mid-1600's.
