These are probably the naturalization records for my second great-grandfather Nicholas Conrad. The Kingdom in the declaration of intent may have been an attempt to spell Bayern. I have not found a Birne or Bairen or anything like it.

Transcribed from photocopies received from the Philadelphia City Archives.

Nicholas Conrad, Declaration of Intent, Philadelphia, 1855
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Declaration of Intent

United States of America
State of Pennsylvania,
City and County of Philadelphia, fs.

Be it Remembered, That before the Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas for the City and County of Philadelphia, on the Twelfth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five personally appeared Nicholas Conrad who, upon his solemn Oath did depose and say that he is a Native of Germany now residing in the City of Philadelphia, aged Twenty-Eight years, or thereabouts, and that is bona fide his intention to become a Citizen of the United States, and to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatever, and particularly to the King of [Birne?] of whom he is now a Subject.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the Seal of Said Court, this Twelfth day of July in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
[indecipherable signature] Prothonotary

Nicholas Conrad, Naturalization Petition, Philadelphia, 1858
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Naturalization Petition

To the Honorable the Judges of the District Court for the City and County of Philadelphia:

The Petition of Nicholas Conrad
A Native of Germany
Respectfully showeth:

That he declared on oath before the Prothy of the Court of Common Pleas of Said County on the 12th day of July A.D. 1855

that it was and still is bona fide his intention to become a Citizen of the United States, and of renouncing forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty what-ever, and particularly to The King of [Bairen?]

of whom he was at that time a subject.– That your Petitioner has resided within the United States upwards of five years, and one year in the State of Pennsylvania last past, immediately preceding this his application to become a Citizen of the United States.

That he was never borne any hereditary title, or been of any of the orders of nobility in his own or any other country.

He therefore prays, that on his making the proof, and taking the oath prescribed by law, he may be admitted a Citizen of the United States of America, and he will ever pray, &c.

[signed] Nicolaus Conrad

George Feitig a Citizen of the United States of America, being duly sworn according to law, saith, that he knows and is well acquainted with Nicholas Conrad the Petitioner; that to his knowledge he has resided in the United States five years, and one year last past in the State of Pennsylvania, immediately preceding his application to be a Citizen; that during the said period he has behaved as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of our Constitution, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same.

Sworn in open Court,
3rd of May 1858
[signed] George Feitig
[Indecipherable signature] Prothonotary

I Nicholas Conrad do swear, that the contents of my Petition are true; that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and I now renounce and relinquish any title or order of nobility to which I am now, or hereafter may be entitled, and I do absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatever, and particularly to the King of Bavaria of whom I was before a subject.

Sworn in open Court,
this Third day of May A.D. 1858
[signed] Nicolaus Conrad
[Indecipherable signature] Prothonotary

———

Original Source Citation:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas Naturalization Declarations and Petitions, 63-1858, Nicholas Conrad, Declaration of Intent 1855, Naturalization Petition 1858.; Philadelphia City Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

I was so excited to find the marriage record of my second great-grandparents Nicholas Conrad and Catharine Emminger in Ancestry’s Pennsylvania and New Jersey Church and Town Records database. Progress has been slow in the Conrad line, and I was happy to discover that they were married 3 Oct 1853 at the Saint Michael’s and Zion Church in Philadelphia.

They were indexed as Nicolaus Konrad and Catharine Emminger and however much Ancestry is paying people to index old German records it is not enough. I don’t even know how the indexer recognized Emminger.

When I opened the image I realized there was more information than what had been indexed, seemingly interesting and important information, but I could not read it. For those unfamiliar, letters are very different in old German handwriting and I have not yet mastered them.

Below are the pertinent sections for Nicholas and Catharine. Click on the images to see them full size. Click here to see the whole page for reference.

Nicolaus Conrad
from ?
in ?
(click to see full size)

Catharine Emminger
from ?
in Württemberg?
(click to see full size)

Below their names appears to be perhaps the town/region where Nicholas and Catharine were from, which would be a huge help to me. In the census, it was reported that Nicholas was from Bavaria and Catharine was from Württemberg.

For Nicholas, I see “aus” or from (a bunch of indecipherable German) and “in” (not looking like Bavaria/Bayern to me.) The first letter of the word after “in” looks the same as the first letter of the last name of the person below Nicholas and the indexer recorded that name as Rins.

For Catharine, the last line does look like it could be Württemberg.

I could be completely wrong in my interpretation of this being their hometowns, but whatever it is I think it would help my research. I found a German Script Tutorial to complete and will continue to study this record but I am hoping someone out there may offer some insight.