California, Ventura Passenger and Crew Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection contains Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Ventura, California, May 1929 to December 1956. The collection corresponds with NARA publication A3363 and were filmed at the NARA facility in College Park, Maryland.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The records may include:
 * The name of an individual
 * Length of service at sea
 * Position in ship's company
 * Nationality

However, they may also contain any of the following:
 * Port and date of departure
 * Port and date of entry
 * Name of ship
 * Country of citizenship
 * Names of persons accompanying passenger
 * Date and place of birth of passenger
 * Address of last permanent residence
 * Name and address of friend or relative at last address
 * Final destination
 * Name and address of friend or relative in U.S.
 * Physical description and distinguishing marks
 * Who paid for passage
 * Purpose of visit

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of immigration
 * Country of origin or nationality

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 NARA Roll Number - Contents  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.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information.

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

 * Use the information found in the record to find a ship manifest
 * Use the record to learn the place of origin and find vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and probate records
 * Use the record to see if other family members who may have immigrated with the person you are looking for are listed and have additional information or leads; you may also find additional information on new family members in censuses

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process
 * Check other possible ports of entry

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of California.
 * California Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1905-Present

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: "California, Ventura Passenger and Crew Lists, 1929-1956." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2018. Citing NARA publication A3363, National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland.

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