Massachusetts, Passenger Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1804-1940.

This collection contains passenger lists from Massachusetts from 1804-1940. Records can contain name, gender, occupation, age, nationality, destination and other information. This collection corresponds with five NARA publications: 4481607, 2934412, 5554422, 4478173, 4728348 and was filmed at the NARA facility in Boston, Massachusetts.

Record Content
[Images should be in this section]

[Record Type] may contain the following information: Passenger lists

Birth records may contain the following information:
 * Birth date
 * Name at birth
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ residence

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, some tips on how to find records, and what to do if no record is found.

When searching: As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, estimated [event] year, and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "…" category ⇒Select the “…" category which takes you to the images

⇒ Select the 'Date Range' category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by 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.

Using the Information

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the soldier's age and location of the military unit to find his family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the county code and the certificate number to obtain a copy of the original death certificate from the county.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * 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.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * You may need to search for both their Indian name and their English name.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military units, counties, parishes, etc.).

General Information about These Records

 * Physical description or format of the original material
 * History of the record
 * Why the record was created
 * Reliability of the information in the record
 * Percentage of the population covered in the record
 * Preservation quality of the record

Other Searches
FHL SEARCH TIP TEMPLATE The following template provides a tip box, notifying users that the FHL catalog may contain more information and providing links to the place and keywords for the locality of interest. For this template, include the version best fitting the locality. The templates below include template versions for various locality levels.

If you want to include a template for a locality in the United States and provide, respectively, the (1) state, (2) the state and county, or (3) the state, county, and city, use the templates below:

Please note that there is an option for a fourth level. For the United States, include “|USfour” to activate the fourth level. For a foreign locality, include “|foreignfour” to activate the fourth level.

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:

Image Citation: