Using Ship Passenger Lists Keys to Research Success
Passenger arrival records can provide clues and answers about your family's arrival in America. While the amount may vary by time period and port of entry, ship passenger lists usually provide researchers with information such as:
One’s nationality and place of birth
Ship name and date of entry to the United States
Age, height, eye and hair color
Profession
Place of last residence
Name and address of relatives they are joining in the United States
Amount of money they are carrying, etc.
The following seven items listed below can help put researchers in the best position for success.
Dates of Arrival: During the Colonial Era, the only lists compiled by individual colonies were from ships entering the ports of entry from outside the British Empire. There are three caveats:
There were no requirements.
The quantity of information varied by individual colony.
Information was usually limited to passenger names and country of origin.
In the post-revolutionary period, the United States government did not mandate the compilation of passenger lists until 1820. There were no standardized forms initially so the quantity of information on passengers will vary by individual state. Again, the most common questions centered on names of all passengers, departure information, country of origin, and arrival details.
From 1893 onward, the federal government added additional questions. Examples of these additional pieces of information include marital status, last place of residence, final intended destination, literacy, financial status, physical description, specific country and locality of birth, and name and address of passenger’s closest living relative in the country of origin. Some passenger lists, especially those created after 1906 consist of two pages because of all the questions and related details. Whenever you locate your ancestor on a list, always page forward to see if there is a second page associated with them.
Name Changes and Related Issues: Port of Entry officials as a rule did not change immigrant’s names. However, when recording the information provided by the immigrant, if they had very thick accents or complex sounding names, this sometimes led to some interesting and incorrect spellings. Since by today’s standards, most of our immigrant ancestors were illiterate, they were giving the information to the port official. Since most immigrant newcomers could not spell their names in English, many officials had to put down what they thought was said to the best of their ability. Another element involves immigrants making the decision to Americanize their names immediately upon arrival or shortly thereafter.
Siblings, Aunts, Uncles. Mothers, Fathers, Neighbors: Relatives and neighbors may have traveled with your ancestors. Search for them when you cannot locate the person you are really trying to locate. Even if the family did not travel together, you may discover other clues. Prime examples would include the name of a relative back home or a final destination. Either of these two pieces of information may help you link family lines or clue you into chain migration or groups of people recruited to come to America for specific jobs. Chain migration involved one member of the family, usually the father, coming to America and sending for the rest of the family after settling in.
Online Search Strategies: Passenger lists are available on a vast number of online websites. The more details you know about their arrival information will enhance your chances of locating the specific passenger list. Even if all you know is a name, approximate age and birthdate, and a possible port of departure or arrival, that might be enough for success. To get past name, handwriting, and spelling variations try the following strategies:
Search online for ethnic equivalents of first and last names.
Consider literal translations.
Try spelling the name phonetically.
Try lengthening or shortening the names.
Forgo the surname and search using birthplace, age, occupation, and other details to locate people who match the characteristics of your ancestor.
For females, try maiden names. Female ancestors may have traveled using them, even when married.
For spelling and handwriting issues, try using asterisks to replace some of the letters in a surname.
Miscellaneous Records: The following sources listed below may contain valuable information to enhance your research options.
Census Records
Birth, Marriage, Divorce, and Death Records
Siblings
Wills, Naturalizations Forms, Probate Records
Port of Departure Records (Europe and the British Isles)
Passports
Family Stories
Timelines: For maximum success, many professionals recommend creating a timeline of events associated with your ancestor. Include as much as you currently know. Include any possible research clues to help narrow down the range of immigration years to search.
The Canadian Wildcard: For many years, Canada was always an attractive and easy alternative to American ports of entry for multiple reasons:
It was cheaper to travel from the British Isles and Europe to Canada and then cross the border into America. Until 1895, there was no border patrol along the US/Canadian border. Even after 1895, the crossing process was simple compared with going through American ports of entry.
Canada was more interested in attracting settlers than asking questions. This was the polar opposite of the rules and regulations at American ports.
The departure process from Europe and the British Isles was both complicated and expensive. Some narratives say it made the processing procedures at most American ports of entry look easy. For those faced with no other option but to “sneak out”, Canada was the only viable option.
For more information on this topic, please consult the following sources listed below. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.