Massachusetts, Boston, Crew Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This article describes multiple collections.

The collection "Massachusetts Boston Crew Lists, 1811-1921" consists of crew Lists of ships arriving at Boston between 1811-1921. The collection was filmed at the NARA Northeast Regional Facility in Boston, Massachusetts and corresponds with ARC #4672201. Record Group 36: Records of the U.S. Customs Service, 1745-1997.

The collection "Massachusetts, Boston Crew Lists, 1917-1943" corresponds with NARA publication T938: Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1917-1943 filmed at the NARA Central Plains Regional Facility. The original collection contains 269 rolls. This collection only has the first 17 rolls of film. When completed the collection will include records from 1891 to 1957.

Record Content
Crew lists include the following:


 * Name of ship and port of departure
 * Ship's arrival date and port of entry
 * Names of crew members
 * Position in the ship's crew
 * When and where engaged as a member of the crew
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Race
 * Nationality
 * Height
 * Weight
 * Physical marks or peculiarities

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know


 * The name
 * Other identifying information such as the age and nationality

Search the Collection
To search the collections by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image. ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "NARA Roll Number - Contents" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search 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.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details and lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example, you can use passenger lists to:


 * Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
 * Confirm their date of arrival
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct.
 * Continue to 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 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.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings. Realize that the indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings and misinterpretations.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes of other port cities.

Related Websites

 * NARA Collection Description
 * National Archives at Boston
 * NARA Immigration Records (Ship Passenger Arrival Records)

Related Wiki Articles

 * Massachusetts Emigration and Immigration
 * United States Emigration and Immigration

Citations for this Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation for Massachusetts, Boston Crew Lists, 1917-1943:

Image citation for Massachusetts, Boston Crew Lists, 1811-1921: