Passport required to enter the country? - Aden BYRNE

[Alders]

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?

[KGarrad]

Passports didn't become common until after the First World War.

[Alders]

So nothing needed to travel or enter the country? (other than money) no records to fill in?

[KGarrad]

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.

[Alders]

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?

[aghadowey]

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.

[Alders]

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!

[aghadowey]

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.

[williamtov]

'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.