18 August 2012

Could It Have Been McKee?

This is the declaration of intent for Johan/John Michael who made his declaration in Hancock County, Illinois, in 1870. This document makes an excellent illustration for the importance of reading the entire document and how things can get misread.

I was using these declarations to pick up signatures for Daily Genealogy Transcriber and I originally thought that the man's last name was McKee and thought it odd that a "McKee" was giving up allegiance to the King of Prussia.

Upon further reading and a little thought, I realized that the clerk had written John Mikel as the name and that the declarant has signed Johan Michael.

This image comes from volume 4 of Declarations of Intent to Naturalize in Hancock County, Illinois.

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