Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection corresponds with the following NARA publications which are part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.


 * T790: Book Indexes to Boston Passenger Lists, 1899-1940; covering April 1, 1899 to September 14, 1940; Arranged by date,book indexes do not exist from 1901
 * T617: Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, July 1, 1906-Dec. 31, 1920; Arranged alphabetically
 * T521: Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, January 1, 1902-June 30, 1906; Arranged alphabetically

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records contain the following information:


 * Name
 * Date of arrival
 * Place of arrival
 * Gender
 * Name of ship

The records may also include:
 * Age
 * Birth year
 * Birth country

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of immigrant
 * Some other identifying information such as age or date of arrival

If you do not have this information search the United States census records after 1900. The census should list the year of immigration or how many years the immigrant has been in the United States.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the appropriate NARA Roll Number - Contents to view the images.

Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned

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?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the name, date, group, and list number to obtain additional immigration information from the National Archives.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may also have immigrated.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct. You may need to compare the information on more than one card or person to make this determination.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of other port cities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals with the same family number.

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.

"Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists Index, 1899-1940." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 25 August 2016. Citing NARA microfilm publications T790, T617, and T521. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d
 * Collection Citation:

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