Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection includes records from the earliest port records to 1948.

Record Description
These collections include the following:


 * Reports of aliens arriving in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1798-1828 (NARA M1639)
 * Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1882 (NARA M425)
 * Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1883-1948 (NARA T840)
 * Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1883-1948, Soundex Index Cards (NARA T526)

The passenger lists and landing reports of aliens are digital copies of the original records. The earliest records are handwritten pages. Later records are usually handwritten on pre-printed pages. The records are arranged by the date of entry into port.

The soundex index is a phonetic index that groups together names that sound alike but are spelled differently, for example, Stewart and Stuart. The index cards are filed according to the soundex number associated with each family name and then by given names. For more information on soundex indexes and help with coding names and using the index, see the wiki article:

Soundex

Record Content
Lists for the years 1798 to 1882 generally includes the following information:


 * Name of immigrant
 * Birth place
 * Birth date
 * Age
 * Port of arrival
 * Date of arrival
 * Port of departure
 * Name of ship

Passenger lists and soundex index cards for the years 1882 to 1948 generally includes the following information:


 * Name
 * Birth place
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Occupation
 * Nationality
 * Last permanent residence
 * Destination
 * Name and address of relative or friend
 * Port and date of entry
 * Name of ship

The index cards also list the volume, page, and line number in the passenger lists.

Record History
Passenger arrival lists known as customs manifests date back to 1820. Congressional action in 1891 resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrants’ arrival.

Why this Record Was Created
The passenger arrival list was used by legal inspectors at Ellis Island to cross-examine 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.

Record Reliability
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.

Related Websites
This section of the article is incomplete. You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying links to related web sites here.

Sources of Information for This Collection
“Pennsylvania - Landing Reports of Aliens, 1798-1828” database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); from National Archives, Washington D.C. NARA M1639. FHL digital images. Family History Library Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1882,” database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); from National Archives, Washington D.C. NARA M425. FHL digital images. Family History Library Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1883-1948,” database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); from National Archives, Washington D.C. NARA T840. FHL digital images. Family History Library Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1883-1948, Index Cards” database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); from National Archives, Washington D.C. NARA T526. FHL digital images. Family History Library Salt Lake City, Utah.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023