Massachusetts, Boston, Crew Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Massachusetts, Boston, Crew Lists, 1811-1921: Filmed at the National Archives and Records Administration’s(NARA) Northeast Regional Facility in Boston, Massachusetts, the images in this collection are crew lists from ships arriving at Boston between 1811–1921. The lists are arranged chronologically and may contain images of passenger lists. The records in this collection correspond with NAID 4672201. Record Group 36: Records of the U.S. Customs Service, 1745-1997. For the years 1860–1873 and 1919–1920 there are no records.

Massachusetts, Boston Crew Lists, 1917-1943: Filmed at the NARA Central Plains Regional Facility, the images in this collection are crew lists from ships arriving at Boston, Massachusetts between 1917–1943." The collection corresponds with NARA microfilm publication T938: Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1917-1943 from Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service

General Information About Crew and Passenger Lists
On 28 February 1803, Congress pact an act to protect American seaman from impressment (enforced service on a foreign ship). The act required American ships arriving from or departing on a foreign voyage to file crew lists at the ships port of entry. Impressment ended after the War of 1812; however, crew lists continued to be filed into the 20th century. Crew lists were prepared by the master of a ship and show the full names, nationality, passport or discharge book number, rank, description, and age of every officer and crew member serving on a ship. The crew list was one of the ship's essential documents. The list was always requested to be handed over to the customs and immigration authorities when the ship arrived at the port authority. The passenger list is also requested by customs and immigration authorities.

Passenger arrival lists, or customs manifests, date back to 1820. The first official emigration station for New York was Castle Garden, located at the tip of lower Manhattan. Congressional action in 1891 resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrant’s arrival. After January 1892, passengers arriving in New York debarked at Ellis Island, located east of Manhattan in the New York Harbor. From 1892 to 1924, almost all immigrants entered the United States through the port of New York. When passengers arrived at Ellis Island, they were asked a series of questions designed to determine whether they would be able to support themselves and did not have any health problems. The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Only 2% of immigrants were denied entry into the United States. Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk guessed at the spelling of foreign names. These indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned. The passenger lists are usually two typed pages divided into columns and rows. When you select an image to view, sometimes the manifest includes more than one page, and when you use the "click to enlarge manifest" link, the image that appears is not always the first page. To view the other page, use the "previous" or "next" links. (last paragraph used only if images function in this manner)


 * Claire Prechtel-Kluskens. Twentieth-Century Vessel Crew Lists. NGS Magazine 33 #2(April-June, 2007): 35-38.

How Do I Search These Collections?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the crew member or immigrant
 * The approximate date of entry

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.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information found in the record to find other records such as emigrations, port records, and ship’s manifests
 * Use the information you find in the record to find more details about the person you are looking for such as foreign and Americanized names
 * 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
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and probate records

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
 * 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 Massachusetts.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * Massachusetts Guided Research
 * Massachusetts Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

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.