Massachusetts, Salem and Beverly Crew Lists and Shipping Articles - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of the following three NARA collections:


 * Crew Lists and Returns of Seamen for the Port of Salem and Beverly, compiled 1797-1818 NAID 1600758
 * Shipping Articles for the Port of Salem and Beverly, compiled 1810 - 1899 (NAID1600870)
 * Crew Lists for the Port of Salem and Beverly, 1797-1934 (NAID 1600759)

The Collections were filmed at the NARA Regional Facility in Waltham, Massachusetts. The records are arranged chronologically for the most part.

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

Crew list and Shipping Articles
 * 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 Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching the collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * Other identifying information such as the age and nationality

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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
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
 * 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

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

 * 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research 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

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Massachusetts, Essex County, seamen's records : crew lists and shipping articles for Beverly and Salem, 1797-1934 National Archives pub No.
 * Massachusetts, Essex County, ports of Salem and Beverly, seamen's identification cards, 1918
 * Massachusetts, Essex County, Salem, seamen's records, 1789-1918

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * United States, New England Seamen's Identification Cards, 1918-1940
 * Maine & Massachusetts, Case Files of Deceased and Deserted Seamen, 1873-1965

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.