New York, New York, Index to Alien Crewmen Who Were Discharged or Who Deserted - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Index to alien crewmen who were discharged or who deserted at the Port of New York, New York, May1917 to November 1957. The index corresponds with NARA publication A3417 and is part of Record Group 85, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. For discharges or desertions between 1917 and 1933 a volume number will be included on the index which will be located on NARA microfilm publication T715 Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels, Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Lists published to 1924 will be located in the following publications.


 * New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1891-1924 Image Browse
 * New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924 Index

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Discharge or Deserted
 * Name of crewmen
 * Age
 * Name of vessel on which he served
 * Date of discharge or desertion
 * Volume number for related passenger lists on NARA publication T715

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * Some other identifying information such the name of vessel on which he served and age or the date of discharge

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?
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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What now?
You can also use these lists to:
 * Use the name of vessel on which your ancestor served along with his name and date of discharge or desertion to search the passenger and crew lists of vessels arriving in New York
 * 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
 * Find federal immigration records
 * Download a copy of the record or transcribe the details
 * 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 lists to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives 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. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times
 * 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
 * Look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Consult the New York Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of New York.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * New York Guided Research
 * New York Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step New York Research, 1880-Present

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These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

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 * New York, New York, index to alien crewmen who were discharged or who deserted, 1917-1957

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.