Accuracy of USA naturalization papers 1885, what papers did they have to produce

[Airdriehunter]

I am just a beginner on USA records. I found a naturalization document that matches  all details. Name, birth date, etc. But the immigration year is out, its a couple of years earlier so probably not mine.
I was curios though as to what documents they had to produce at the court when applying for naturalization and when they entered USA. How did they prove their date of birth etc. Is there any good web site to find such information.
Thanks

[shellyesq]

These give a bit of an overview of the naturalization process:  http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/faq.html#Naturalization

http://rwguide.rootsweb.ancestry.com/lesson16.htm

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/United_States_Naturalization_and_Citizenship

Depending on the time frame of the naturalization, their immigration information (ship/date of arrival) would have to be checked against a passenger list and a notation made on the passenger list.  This site gives a good explanation as to what markings on the manifest meant:  http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/Manifests/  If you're looking at a passenger list from the 1890's or later, be sure to check if there's a 2nd page to it, because they will sometimes contain relatives' names.

If you're going off the dates of immigration given in the census records, I would take them with a grain of salt.  It isn't unusual for them to vary, especially since the information could have been given by someone other than immigrant or the immigrant may have forgotten the exact year when asked decades later.

[Airdriehunter]

Thanks a million for the links, they are very concise and informative. I am following an ancestor who had naturalisation - na written on census in the 1900 census. I found a possibility but the immigration year on it was 3 years before he could have been in USA. He was living in Ireland until 1880.  The US circuit court  paper stated that he arrived in New York June 15 1877,  he was naturalised in 1891. I am understanding that the process took 5 years from the issue of first paper. Still not clear what paper a candidate had to supply. Could they have just put a false date for their arrival or have I got the wrong guy! I can't find this person on the passenger lists either.
Kind Regards

[shellyesq]

This suggests that the information given may have been wrong. http://infoukes.com/genealogy/primer/naturalization.html

Mistakes on the naturalization documents are very common especially before 1906. Before September 26, 1906, most naturalization courts asked the immigrants when they arrived, what port, and on what ship. The immigrant answered to the best of his memory, and many did not remember well. Dates and ship names were often forgotten. The government and court did not check the information given but rather just believed the information given.

It's also possible that someone could have come to the US, gone back home for a bit, and returned and just used the original date.

[Airdriehunter]

Thanks again, this family were hopeless with dates, that is why I am having so much trouble. Probably even 10 years older than what they thought they were and for what reason I can not fathom!
Thanks for your help once again