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Denization is an obsolete process in English Common Law, dating from the 13th century, by which a foreigner gained some privileges of a British subject, including the right to hold English land, through letters patent. Denization fell into disuse when statutory mechanisms for naturalisation developed. The term ‘denizen’ has been used, prior to the abolition of slavery in the United States, to refer to the status of free blacks. Used non-legally, the term ‘denizen’ means ‘resident’. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
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This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ...
Letters Patent by Queen Victoria creating the office of Governor-General of Australia Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government granting an office, a right, monopoly, title, or status to someone or some entity such as...
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The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ...
Denization at English Common Law Denization occurred by a grant of letters patent, an exercise of the royal prerogative. Denizens paid a fee and took an oath of allegiance to the crown. Letters Patent by Queen Victoria creating the office of Governor-General of Australia Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government granting an office, a right, monopoly, title, or status to someone or some entity such as...
The denizen was not a citizen nor an alien: but had a status akin to permanent residency today. Sir William Blackstone noted: The word citizen may refer to: A person with a citizenship Citizen Watch Co. ...
Permanent residency refers to a persons status such that the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within the country despite not having citizenship. ...
Sir William Blackstone, (July 10, 1723 - February 14, 1780) was an English jurist and professor who produced the historical treatise on the common law called Commentaries on the Laws of England, first published in four volumes over 1765–1769. ...
- "A denizen is a kind of middle state, between an alien and a natural-born subject, and partakes of both." – (Blackstone: Commentaries, Book 1, Chapter X, p374)
The denizen was not a citizen because he did not have any political rights: he could not be a member of parliament or hold any civil or military office. However, the status of denizen allowed a foreigner to purchase property, although a denizen could not inherit property. Historically, paying for a letters patent was thus a requirement of foreign land ownership in England.
Denization was expressly preserved by the Naturalisation Act of 1870 and by s25 of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914 (See Early British Nationality Law. The British Nationality Act 1948, a major reform of citizenship law in Britain, made no mention of denization and neither abolished nor preserved the practice. According to the British Home Office, the last denization occurred in 1873, and was granted to the Dutch painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1. This article concerns the History of British nationality law. ...
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (January 8, 1836--June 25, 1912) was a Dutch-born painter of the Victorian era, best known for his sumptuous portrayals of life in the ancient world. ...
Denization, as an exercise of royal power, was applicable throughout the British dominion to all British subjects. That is, it was exercisable in the colonies. For example, denization occurred in the colony of New South Wales. As in England, the practice became obsolete to naturalisation, with the last known denization in 1848.2
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