Immigrant Ships
Transcribers Guild

Helpful Hints To Finding Your List On Your Own

      Help, I didn't find my ancestor?

   Remember this is a very new project.  We have thousands
   of manifests to transcribe.  To give you an example; in
   the year 1859 there are 10 rolls of microfilmed passenger
   lists for the Port of New York arrivals only.  On each of
   these rolls there between 150-250 passenger lists.  That
   means we have approximately 2000 lists to transcribe
   for that year alone, just coming into New York. We ONLY
   have access to microfilm for arrivals in the United
   States after 1820.  The manifests we have online
   of arrivals in other countries have been contributed
   to us.

   In the year 1851, over 1700 ships arrived at the Port
   of New York alone.

   Things you can do if you know the date and port of
   arrival of your ancestor's ship from before 1820
   to the United States:

   1) There are no formal passenger lists before 1820.
      That is when the US made it a law that captains
      must report their passengers.  Therefore, there
      is no microfilm of passengers before 1820.

   2) Check with the Historical Society of the area of
      arrival of your ancestor.  They sometimes have
      records (land allotments, church records, oaths of
      allegience) which have been used to compile a
      list of passengers.  Those arriving in Philadelphia
      have many sources, all can be found by inter library
      loan or contacting a large Philadelphia library.
      Philadelphia seems to be the only port which began
      to archive passenger lists in 1800.

   3) There have been some books published with these
      passengers.  Look at your favorite library or
      again, check with the library in the area they
      arrived.


   Things you can do if you know the date and port of
   arrival of your ancestor's ship from January 7, 1820
   to June 17,1897 to the United States:

   1)  Please consider purchasing the microfilm roll
       which contains the ship you are trying to locate.

       Microfilm for 1820-June 1897 arrivals are indexed
       by date of arrival.  Most of these rolls may be
       purchased through Heritage Quest online or ISTG.
       ISTG will then transcribe ALL the ships on the roll,
       putting them on our website for free access, and send
       you a copy of the original manifest of the ship you
       are interested in when it is found.

       We will also credit you with the contribution to the
       Guild on our upcoming roll of honor page.
       Cost of a microfilm roll is $20.45 if ISTG orders it
       through Heritage Quest.

   2)  Go to your local LDS FHC or large NARA type library
       and ask them to rent the film so you can view on
       their microfilm reader and make a copy.  It is $3.50
       to rent each roll of microfilm.

   Things you can do if the ships arrival is after 1897-1957
   to the United States:

   1)  Passengers are indexed by surname.  You have to check
       the surname index for the port of arrival of your ship.
       You will then find which microfilm roll to order to
       view the passenger list of that ship.

   2)  Go to your local LDS FHC or large NARA type library
       and ask them to rent the film index for the port
       which your ancestors arrived and the alpha list of
       the surname you are searching.  Find the surname
       and the roll of microfilm to order to view on a
       reader and copy. It is $3.50 to rent each roll of
       microfilm. To buy the microfilm from NARA it is $34.


   Things you can do if the ship arrival is other than the
   United States:

   1)  Your local LDS FHC or National Archives should have
       records of ship arrivals to your country.  The
       Canadian National Archives has microfilm which
       may be ordered through inter-library loan to any
       large library. UPDATE, Canadian Archives now has
       immigration records for 1925-35 online at http://www.archives.ca/
       Direct access is at:
       http://www.archives.ca/exec/naweb.dll?fs&020118&e&top&0

   2)  Check the COMPASS,under passenger lists to
       other countries, for a list of web sites which
       have ships arriving in those countries.

Contact Our Research Team

I would like to join the Guild.

ISTG Staff

Copyrights, Trade Marks, & Registered Trade Marks within this web site are protected under international copyright law. All rights reserved by the respective holders of any ™©® included within this site.