Immigration and Ships
Passenger Lists Research Guide
Section 3.0 - Last updated February 1, 2005
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3.1 What
Information May be Found
Prior
to
1820, there were no requirements to maintain passenger
lists. Most of the sailing ships were primarily cargo
ships and the passengers may be listed on the ship's cargo manifest.
These lists vary broadly in the amount and type of information they
contain.
The lists may possibly contain the following
information for
the passenger:
- Country, and some may show the province,
or exact town of
origin
- Date of arrival in the U.S.
- Family members or others who immigrated
on the same ship
- Destination in the U.S.
- Occupation, age, and sex
- Ship's name, its master, its port of
embarkation, and its port of arrival
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3.2
Where are the records
The ship's manifests were normally deposited at the port of
arrival and were originally kept at these colonial ports.
But since
there was no central depository for these early records, many of them
have
been lost, or destroyed. Those that remain are scattered into
libraries, historical societies, museums and private hands. These
original records are rarely indexed.
Many
passenger lists
for this time period have been extracted and published, either in books
and periodicals. Many of these
published works also now
appear on
the Web and on CD-Rom's.
Except for the following records available from the NARA, you should
use those
extracted records online, on CD-Rom, and/or in books for your research
in this time period.
The United States Congress had first required the deposit of
lists of passengers of vessels arriving at U.S. ports in 1798.
From this act of Congress, apparently only a few fragmentary lists of
aliens disembarking at Salem and Beverly, Massachusetts, now
survive. Customs officials at each port did maintain lists of
vessels arriving
at the port. For example, those for the port
of New York, extending from 1789 to 1919, have been microfilmed as
National Archives Record
Administration (NARA) Microfilm Publication M1066
(27 rolls). Note that these port records contain
no
passenger lists, but rather consist of a list of ships and provide
information concerning a vessel's port of origin, master, tonnage,
nationality, value of its freight, and custom duties.
| Until 1820, the U.S. Federal
Government did not require captains or masters of vessels to present a
passenger list to U.S. officials. As a general rule, there are no
NARA passenger
lists of vessels arriving before 1820. There are, however, two
exceptions - records do exist on microfilm, CD Rom, and the Internet
for:
Arrivals at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1813-1819, are reproduced in
NARA microfilm publication:
Roll 1 of M2009, Work Projects Administration Transcript of Passenger
Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana,
1813-1849
Arrivals at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1800-1819, are
reproduced in two NARA microfilm publications:
Rolls 1-29 of M425, Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1800-1882 (Baggage Lists)
M360, Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, 1800-1906
Note: M425 only includes those with baggage
arriving at Philadelphia during 1800-1819.
|
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3.3
How to Search for your Ancestor
Many passenger lists for this time period have been extracted
and published in books and periodicals. Many of these published
works also now appear on the Web and on CD-Rom's.
Hint: The published
works that now have been replicated on CD-Rom's and are being placed on
web sites may use different databases. For example, the online
databases may not use all of the original works that are included in
the CD-Rom versions . For this reason, and also since different
errors
and ommissions can exist in the indexes to each resource, it
is
sometimes desirable to search all three resouces
Hint: If
possible,
start by researching the on-line and/or the CD-Rom resources.
These generally have an "integrated" index for all of the
publications that are included, saving time in your search.
3.3.1
Using the Internet
Hint: Today (2005), Ancestry.com
has the most extensive amount of searchable resources for this time
period, and therefore, you may want to start here if you wish to
subscribe to this service or use it freely available at a local LDS
FHC or library.
1) Start with the following outstanding
websites and search any databases applicable to your area (country)
and/or
year of interest:
The
Olive Tree Genealogy by Lorine McGinnis Schulze http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/
A very large
genealogy website emphasing Passenger List s and Immigation Records .
There are more than 1,700 pages of free information and links to other
free and subscription sites. Free searchable databases
include ships' passenger lists, military records, Native American
Genealogy, Palatines, Huguenots, Mennonites, USA Genealogy, Canadian
Genealogy and more. There are so many choices that it can be
overwhelming and confusing - allow yourself lots of time to look
around.
Some pages on this site to start with:
Immigration
to USA Before 1820
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/articles/immusapre1820.shtml
Emigrants
From England 1773-1776 and Pennsylvania Baggage Lists 1809 http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/?o_xid=0030660188&o_lid=0030660188&o_xt=30660188
Ships
Passenger Lists to New Netherland, New York 1624 to 1664 http://olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/ships/
List
of Ships to Philadelphia, PA 1727-1808
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/pal/index.shtml
Ships Passenger
Lists to U.S.A.1400 to 1820 http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/tousap01.shtml
Browse 2,451 Olive Tree FREE Passenger
Lists OR
Search 7,006 passenger lists on multiple websites
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/search_ships.shtml
Arrivals
at
US Ports from Europe before 1820 -by Joe Beine http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/1820.html
A well organized
bibliography including links to online databases, cd-roms
& books. Arranged by port
of entry and also the country or origination.
The
Voyages, Vessels, People, and Places of English America,
1500 -
1820
http://www.english-america.com/index.html
Provides names of lists of
passengers, indexed by ship names and by
locations, with references to primary and secondary source material.
Currently has over 800 voyage passenger lists which include more than
25,000 passengers.
2) Other Free home links
- Check links in the
Passenger List Databases table that may be
applicable to your area (country) and/or year of interest.
3) Subscribe to either
of the following services and search the
data base for your ancestors surname.
(Hint: If too many returns
occur as
a result of your search, try only searching the individual
database(s) applicable to your area of interest:
International
& Passenger Records Collection http://www.Genealogy.com
Records included in this
collection (click to see the list) http://www.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/odl_browse.cgi?SUBDB=IPR
Passenger & Immigration
Lists http://www.Ancestry.com
Records included in this collection
(click to see the list) http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/default.aspx?rt=40
**** Note:
Contact your local LDS Family History
Center and
check whether
Ancestry.com is available online on their computer. (Now
available Free at many Family History Centers).
You may also check with local libraries to find if they have Ancestry
Library Edition available (Having a similar database)
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3.3.2 Using CD-ROM'S
CD-ROM's are becoming available at many genealogical libraries and
genealogical societies. CD-ROM's generally have a fully
searchable index offering a variety of different search criteria
(different than the similar on-line data base). The CD-Rom may
also include database material that is not in the "equivalent" on-line
database. Search
one-or-more of the following
CD-Rom’s (for the pre-1820 period) that may be applicable to your area
of interest. (
Note: A good place to
start is with Passenger and Immigration
Lists
Index, 1500s-1900s [CD 354] which includes all volumes of Filby's
Passenger and
Immigration Lists Index and has an integrated search engine.)
Hint: Generally start your search using only the
surname. A list of passengers having that common surname
and similar spellings is displayed. Then browse through the names
to find one with the desired first name, age, and or place of
origin. If you find an ancestor, you can find all others coming
on that same ship by clicking on the Search button and then entering
the date and ship name in the search criteria. You can also search by
parts of names (using wildcards) origin, date of arrival, ship name and
other criteria.
Most CDRom's are available from Genealogical.com http://www.genealogical.com/
A few are available from Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com
Look at their web page for a description for each CD-Rom, the lists of
books, and other references included on that CD, and ordering
information. Genealogical.com also has a catalog of
hundreds of additional genealogical CD-Rom's. To use these
CD-Rom's, either Family Tree Maker software or the free Family Archive
Viewer program must be installed on your computer.
| CD-Rom's -- Pre 1820 Databases |
|
Passenger and Immigration
Lists
Index, 1500s-1900s -[CD 354]
Immigrants to America 1600's - 1800's[GPC7352]
Irish Immigrants to North America 1735 -1871 [GPC7257]
Scottish Immigrants to North America, 1600s-1800s.[GPC7268]
Scotch-Irish Settlers in America 1500's - 1800's [GPC7276]
Immigrants to the New World, 1600s-1800s [GPC7170]
Immigrants to Pennsylvania [GPC7501
Huguenot Settlers in America [GPC7600]
German and Swiss Settlers in America, 1700s-1800s [GPC7267]
The Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1776 [GPC7350]
|
3.3.3 Using Indexes, Bibliographies and Compilations
in Libraries
If you were unsuccessful in finding your ancestor by using any of
the previous
resources, you should search indexes, bibliographies, and compilations
that
are available in libraries with genealogy collections. The LDS
Family
History Centers also have some of these books and indexes available on
fiche
- check their catalog.
Hint: It is recommended to
research a published book or other
reference, even though the information may also appear on the Internet
or on a CD-Rom. Remember that errors and ommissions do exist on
these other resources.
Hint: A good place to
start is with Filby's Passenger and
Immigration
Lists
Index, 1500s-1900s. If you find a reference to
your family in one of these volumes, click
here to find out how to interpret the information and how to
get a copy of the original
source material.
Other
Library Resources - (Indexes, Bibliographies, and Compilations)
|
Bibliographies
Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists
Bibliography,
1538-1900: Being a Guide to Published Lists of Arrivals in the United
States
and Canada. 2d ed. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Co.,
1988. If you find a reference to
your family in one of these volumes, click
here to find out how to interpret the information and how to
get a copy of the original
source material) Also available online and on CD-Rom 354
Lancour, Harold, comp. A Bibliography of Ship Passenger Lists,
1538-1825; Being a Guide to Published
Lists of Early Immigrants to North America. 3d ed. New York: New
York Public Library, 1978. Also available on CD-Rom 170
Wood, Virginia Steele. Immigrant Arrivals: A Guide to Published
Sources. Revised. (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, Local History & Genealogy
Reading Room, n.d.).
|
|
Compilations
Boyer, Carl. Ship Passenger Lists, National and New England
(1600-1825). Newhall, CA: C.
Boyer, 1977. Covers Lancour entries 1-71.
Boyer, Carl. Ship Passenger Lists, New York and New Jersey
(1600-1825). Newhall, CA: C. Boyer,
1978. Covers Lancour entries 72-115.
Boyer, Carl. Ship Passenger Lists, Pennsylvania and Delaware
(1641-1825). Newhall, CA: C.
Boyer, 1980. Covers Lancour entries 116-197.
<>
Boyer, Carl. Ship Passenger Lists, the South (1538-1825).
Newhall, CA: C. Boyer, 1979. Covers
Lancour entries 198E-243.
Tepper, Michael. New World Immigrants: a Consolidation of Ship
Passenger Lists and Associated Data
from Periodical Literature.
Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979.
Tepper, Michael. Passengers to America: A Consolidation of Ship
Passenger Lists From the New England
Historical and Genealogical Register. Baltimore:
Genealogical Publishing Co., 1977.
Tepper, Michael. Emigrants to Pennsylvania, 1641-1819: a
Consolidation of Ship Passenger Lists
from the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. Baltimore:
Genealogical Publishing Co., 1978
Tepper, Michael. Immigrants to the Middle Colonies: a Consolidation
of Ship Passenger Lists and Associated
Data from The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1978
|
|
Ethnic
Groups
There are numerous published name
indexes to 16th through 19th century arrivals of persons of various
ethnic groups, including persons of Czechoslovakian, Dutch, English,
German, Irish, Italian, and Russian descent. For a listing of some of these indexes in
the Library of congress, see:
Bibliographies and
Guides
http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/bib_guid/
Listed below are published guides to a few of the
genealogy
collections of the Library of Congress available in full text by
selecting the desired link.
Wood, Virginia Steele. Immigrant
Arrivals: A Guide to Published Sources
includes references to:
Passenger Lists
The Ships
The Immigration Experience
Immigrants As New Arrivals
Personal Narratives & Correspondence
Internet Resources
Two online bibliographys to
immigration
by particular ethnic groups are
Douglas, Lee V. Danish
Immigration to America: An Annotated Bibliography of Resources at the
Library of Congress. Research
Guide No. 28. (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, Local History &
Genealogy Reading Room, n.d.).
Douglas, Lee V. A Select
Bibliography of Works: Norwegian-American Immigration and Local History.
Research Guide No. 6. (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, Local
History & Genealogy Reading Room, n.d.).
Other resources available in
Libraries are:
Schenk, Trudy and Ruth
Froelke: Wuertemberg Emigration Index: (7 volume
set) Individuals who applied to emigrate from Wuerttemberg,
Germany between 1750 and 1900. Contains information such as place and
date of birth, or age at application, month and year of application,
and destination in the New World. Also available on line
(Ancestry.com)
Coldham, Peter Wilson. The
Complete Book of Emigrants 1607 - 1776: (4 volumes) Surry
England,
Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore 1987. Comprehensive
listing compiled from English
Public Records of those who took ships to America Also on
CD-Rom 350
Jones, Henry Z. Palatine Families of New York
(2 Vols.) Documents all 847 Palatine families who came to
colonial New
York from Germany in 1710. Also included is the German ancestry for
over 500 of the 847 families.
Jones, Henry
Z. More Palatine
Families: Some Immigrants to the Middle Colonies 1717 to
1776
data on 316 Palatine families who arrived in New York and New Jersey
1717-1776, plus their European origins. It also includes some 1710
immigrants who returned to Germany, or whose destination is unknown,
plus some additional material on the Palatine immigrant families of
1710.
|
Another important source for vessel arrivals are
local newspapers, such as:
For New York
Commercial Advertiser
(1797-1904)
Evening Post (1801 onwards)
Mercantile Advertiser
(1792-1838)
For Boston
Boston Commercial Gazette
(1795-1840)
Colombian Centennial
(1784-1840)
Most of these newspapers have been microfilmed, and copies of
individual microfilm rolls may be accessible through interlibrary
Loan. Note
that these newspapers give detailed information on a vessel's movements
and cargo, but they seldom list the names of passengers. |
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