Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1820-1891 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston,1820-1891 corresponds to NARA microfilm publication M277 part of Record Group 36 Records of the U.S. Customs Service. The passenger lists are arranged by the arrival date of the ship and cover arrivals from September 2, 1820 to March 31, 1874 and January 1, 1883 to July 29,1891. Missing years include 1855 to 1856 and April 1, 1875-Dec 31, 1882.

To Browse This Collection
Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston,Massachusetts,1848-1891, corresponds to NARA publication M265 part of Record Group 36 Records of the U.S. Customs Service. The index was created by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s from passenger kept by  Massachusetts at located at the state archives.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The content of the passenger lists varies by time period. You may find any of the following information:


 * Name of passenger
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace or last residence
 * Intended final destination
 * Date of arrival
 * Port of departure
 * Port of entry


 * Name of Passenger
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Date and port of arrival
 * Name of Ship
 * Occupation
 * Country of citizenship
 * Previous residence
 * Destination

Sample Images
The lists consist of large sheets of paper divided into columns and rows. Earlier lists are handwritten, while most after 1917 are typewritten. Lists after 1906 usually occupy two pages.

Passenger arrival lists known as customs manifests date back to 1820. In 1883, the federal government mandated the creation of ship manifests and in 1891, Congressional action resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrants’ arrival.

The passenger arrival list was used by legal inspectors to question each immigrant during a legal inspection prior to the person being allowed to live in America. Only two percent of the prospective immigrants were denied entry.

The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk guessed at the spelling of foreign names.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * Some other identifying information such as the birth place or birth date

If you do not know this information, check the census records after 1900.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Roll No. - Description to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age listed to calculate a birth date
 * Use the last residence or port of departure to find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests
 * Use the occupation to search for employment and guild records
 * Use the intended destination to search for church, census, and land records
 * Search the passenger lists to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have immigrated at the same time
 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for that date before you decide which is correct
 * If your ancestor has an uncommon surname, you may want to obtain the passenger list of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. Records are often indexed by local historical and genealogical societies. There may also be another collection which is an index to the records
 * Search the indexes of other port cities

Record Finder
Consult the Massachusetts Research Tips and Strategies and its Record Finder to search other records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:"Massachusetts, Index to Boston Passenger Lists, 1848-1891." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 8 November 2016. Citing NARA microfilm publication M265. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1969."Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1820-1891." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 1 September 2016. Citing NARA microfilm publication M277. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

Top of Page