Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1820-1891 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, 1820-1891 corresponds to NARA microfilm publication M277 part of Record Group 36 Records of the U.S. Customs Service. The passenger lists are arranged by the arrival date of the ship and cover arrivals from September 2, 1820 to March 31, 1874 and January 1, 1883 to July 29, 1891. Missing years include 1855 to 1856 and April 1, 1875-Dec 31, 1882.

To Browse This Collection
Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1848-1891, corresponds to NARA publication M265 part of Record Group 36 Records of the U.S. Customs Service. The index was created by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s from passenger lists located at the Massachusetts State Archives.

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


 * Name of passenger
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace or last residence
 * Country of citizenship


 * Intended final destination
 * Date and port of departure
 * Date and port of arrival
 * Name of Ship

Sample Images
The lists consist of large sheets of paper divided into columns and rows. Earlier lists are handwritten, while most after 1917 are typewritten. Lists after 1906 usually occupy two pages.

Passenger arrival lists, known as customs manifests, date back to 1820. The Immigration Act of 1882 mandated the creation of ship manifests. The Immigration Act of 1891 specified ship's captain was to submit a list of passengers for examination by officials and required medical examination of all persons on board.

The passenger arrival list was used by legal inspectors to question each immigrant during a legal inspection prior to the person being allowed to live in America. Only two percent of the prospective immigrants were denied entry.

The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk recorded the name.

Digital Folder Number List
Massachusetts, Index to Boston Passenger Lists, 1848-1891

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * Some other identifying information such as the birth place or birth date

If you do not know this information, check the census records after 1900.

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?

 * Use the age listed to calculate a birth date
 * Use the last residence or port of departure to find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests
 * Use the occupation to search for employment and guild records
 * Use the intended destination to search for church, census, and land records
 * 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 had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for that date before you decide which is correct
 * 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

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. Records are often indexed by local historical and genealogical societies. There may also be another collection which is an index to the records
 * Search the indexes of other port cities

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Passenger lists of vessels arriving at Boston, 1820-1891 ; with index, 1848-1891 : NARA RG36 publications M265 and M277

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1891-1943
 * Massachusetts, Index to Boston Passenger Lists, 1848-1891
 * Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists Index, 1899-1940
 * Massachusetts, Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, 1921-1949

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * compiled by Harold Lancour ; with a list of passenger arrival records in the National Archives by Frank E. Bridgers A bibliography of ship passenger lists, 1538-1825 : being a guide to published lists of early immigrants to North America.New York, New York : New York Public Library distributed by Readex Books, 1975

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.