Pennsylvania, Crew Lists Arriving at Erie - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection corresponds with NARA publication A3459: Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Erie, Pennsylvania, April 1952 to March 1957 and is part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Arranged in chronological order the records contain full name, citizenship, position in crew, whether discharged at the port of arrival, and other information for each crew member.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Information found in this collection may include:


 * Name
 * Length of service
 * Position within the crew
 * Age
 * Nationality
 * When and where signed on to crew
 * Significant remarks
 * Name of vessel
 * Port of departure
 * Date of departure
 * Port of arrival
 * Date of arrival
 * Serial number and form of required foreign service or immigration form

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date or place of immigration

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select NARA Publication
 * 2) Select NARA Roll Number

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 information to find other records such as emigrations, port records, and ship’s manifests
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived, and then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and 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
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Learn the place of origin and find church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Use the information to find land and probate records
 * Use the information to find additional family members in censuses
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

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

 * Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. You could get a copy of the original record from National Archives and Records Administration
 * 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. Try searching for these names as well
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records

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.

"Pennsylvania, Crew Lists arriving at Erie, 1952-1957." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing NARA microfilm publication A3459. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2008.
 * Collection Citation:

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