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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Alders on Wednesday 22 July 15 21:50 BST (UK)
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Hi,
My relative Aden Byrne entered the UK from Hyogo (Japan) as a child between 1881-1891 i would say it would of been around 1889. He was born in 1878 so travelled as a child without a parent, he was sent home upon his fathers death. Born in Japan he was not registered as a British National or Japanese though he had a Japanese mother.
Would he of needed a passport to travel? if so which nationality? I have checked find my past but can't see anything. also tried searching TNA but came up empty. Does anyone know if there are ones from foreign nationals? Would there have been documentation of him entering the country? I can not find him on any passenger lists. Is there anywhere else i can look to find him entering the UK?
He naturalized as a British citizen in 1906, giving up his claim as being an subject of the empire of Japan, but it confuses me as he was never registered as being Japanese (Nor British) I also don't understand having lived here since 13 ish, marrying here, owning property why he would naturalize?
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Passports didn't become common until after the First World War.
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So nothing needed to travel or enter the country? (other than money) no records to fill in?
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A child's citizenship used to depend on the status of the father.
The British Nationality Act 1772 (13 Geo. 3 c. 21), made general provision allowing natural-born allegiance (citizenship) to be assumed if the father alone were British.
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A child's citizenship used to depend on the status of the father.
The British Nationality Act 1772 (13 Geo. 3 c. 21), made general provision allowing natural-born allegiance (citizenship) to be assumed if the father alone were British.
The father was british (pretended to be!! i suspect irish!) he died a resident of Kobe listed on their records as British,
this was noted on his naturalization paper:-
"An interesting Japanese case, but I think we should take the facts as stated. The claim of the father to British nationality is doubtful, & also the nature of his marriage. In addition there are questions as to the Japanese laws of marriage & naturalization & the questions recently discussed in regards to the bearing of the ( ?) jurisdiction in regard to making ?nationality?
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The father was british (pretended to be!! i suspect irish!) he died a resident of Kobe listed on their records as British,
this was noted on his naturalization paper:-
"An interesting Japanese case, but I think we should take the facts as stated. The claim of the father to British nationality is doubtful, & also the nature of his marriage. In addition there are questions as to the Japanese laws of marriage & naturalization & the questions recently discussed in regards to the bearing of the ( ?) jurisdiction in regard to making ?nationality?
If the father was indeed Irish then he would have been a British citizen.
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Thank you, i suspect he & his parents were born in Ireland but lived in Liverpool since he was a child but think he claimed UK birth.
It would seem though that Aden fell through the cracks being registered at birth no where!
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Thank you, i suspect he & his parents were born in Ireland but lived in Liverpool since he was a child but think he claimed UK birth.
Ireland was part of the U.K. so he AND his parents would have been British citizens.
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'United Kingdom citizen(ship)' dates only from the British Nationality Act 1948. Until then the status of 'subject of the King (or Queen)' was the basis of British nationality.
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Hi Alders,
Thought I'd post these links to some threads/posts ( I guess they are yours?) below to help give a bigger picture: http://www.oldphotosjapan.com/en/photos/423/view-from-yamate#.VbGPlrUw-00
http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.asia.japan.hyogo/32/mb.ashx
"i'm trying to trace Edward Byrne, i know he was a appx 1823 in liverpool conflicting dates between his mates & masters cert & his Kobe obituary.
He was a merchant captain who eventually settled in & died in Kobe, where he was amongst other things a bill & bullion broker & a marine surveyor, he had one son called Aden Byrne b1878 in Kobe who claimed to be a British subject but naturalized in 1907 on the paperwork he listed his mother as Tonyama Tetsu. Aden was (orphaned?) back in the UK by 1891 & never worked living off his inheritance. "
" from Kobe city archives & i am hoping to hear back from a local historian"
Has the historian in Japan checked the Koseki and not found anything for this family?
Back to the original question "why would he naturalize"? What was the point? It's because without it he may have been been subject to alien rates of tax, unable to vote, hold civil or military office or inherit land.
Aden's naturalisation could have been everything to do with his inheritance and taxes
Hope that helps
Kind Regards :)
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Hi Thanks for your reply,
My Japanese contact can not find a Koseki, mainly because they were only filled in by the Japanese so if there was an entry it would of been made by the Koseki keeper of Aden's mother, as i can't find birth or marriage records for her/him it is likely that the entry would refer to an illegitimate child. My Japanese researcher is pretty sure that the spelling Tonyama Tetsu is incorrect not unsurprising seeing as Aden was only about 13 & orphaned on return to the UK. Koseki's privacy are fiercely protected & never made public although they acted as BMD & census without knowing the exact name i don't know where to start & because they are not public the census side is useless to me as i don't know the japanese residents names in Kobe at that time :-(
The inheritance of Aden is another huge mystery, he was very wealthy (left by his father Edward) but there is no record of it, but there must of been something in place?? I've given myself concussion banging my head on walls over that mystery!
On his Citizenship application Aden says " He has withdrawn all moneys invested in Japanese stocks & re-invested same in England" I wonder if in lieu of a will his monies came from Japanese stocks & shares? Someone obviously set this up for his future.
He also stated that the reason he wanted citizenship was
his father was a british born subject & that his own inclinations are towards England & feels that should any children be born to him he feels that it would be to their interest that he personally be a british subject!
This history has my brain addled!
J
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Hi Alders,
It really is an intriguing and totally fascinating History you have there
I do totally understand about that the Japanese have fierce protection over privacy and Koseki ( we could learn off them! (I wish Britain was more like this over certain things).
In my gut - my total gut feelings is why he naturalised was because it was something to do with his inheritance,(perhaps someone with knowledge can help out here on inheritance laws during the time) and I quite agree there must be a paper trail somewhere regarding his inheritance.
Does anyone in your living family remember Aden?
I did search for hour upon hour yesterday, trying to find his entry ( under both his dad's name, and mum's surname) - I also tried to search for his mum everywhere (I spent most of my time searching more for his mum than his dad as I personally speaking I find the mum more fascinating than the dad)
I find your story really fascinating! Hopefully someone with a lot more knowledge than I can provide can help out too on both sides of the waters.
Kind regards
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Hi Alders,
It really is an intriguing and totally fascinating History you have there
I do totally understand about that the Japanese have fierce protection over privacy and Koseki ( we could learn off them! (I wish Britain was more like this over certain things).
In my gut - my total gut feelings is why he naturalised was because it was something to do with his inheritance,(perhaps someone with knowledge can help out here on inheritance laws during the time) and I quite agree there must be a paper trail somewhere regarding his inheritance.
Does anyone in your living family remember Aden?
I did search for hour upon hour yesterday, trying to find his entry ( under both his dad's name, and mum's surname) - I also tried to search for his mum everywhere (I spent most of my time searching more for his mum than his dad as I personally speaking I find the mum more fascinating than the dad)
I find your story really fascinating! Hopefully someone with a lot more knowledge than I can provide can help out too on both sides of the waters.
Kind regards
Hi thank you for your kind reply, No one really remembers Aden, my mother was told that upon the birth of her mother (daughter of Aden's only (adopted) child Edward that a priest was sent to the house who told them if they went down on their hands & knees that they could be bought back into the catholic fold! Aden apparently disowned Edward for marrying beneath himself!
I tried to check catholic records but could find no basis for this family story being as neither Aden nor Edward were married in a Catholic church . Of a side note my mother never even knew that her grandfather Edward (Aden's son) was adopted!
I tried to trace the Tatham family whom took Aden in when he came to the UK again no luck, though there was interesting connections to Sigmund Freud & the MD of Shell Mex BP!
My japanese researcher thinks that Tonyama Tetsu is probably Tomiyama Tetsu, he managed to find a newspaper ad for the 1883 Hiogo newspaper in Kobe advertising bulbs for sale by the nurseryman T Tomiyama.
Could be a coincidence but he has been unable to find anything further!
I keep asking different questions in the hope that 1 may crack the case!
One day maybe!!!
Jackie