UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960

Author Ancestry.com
Publication information UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.

Narrative

https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1518

Narrative

Original data: Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA). Series BT26, 1,472 pieces.

Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England. The National Archives gives no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for the purpose of the information provided. Images may be used only for purposes of research, private study or education. Applications for any other use should be made to the National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU.

This database is an index to the Board of Trade’s passenger lists of ships arriving in the United Kingdom from foreign ports outside of Europe and the Mediterranean. Exceptions to this are vessels that originated outside of these areas but then picked up passengers in European or Mediterranean ports en route. The UK port of arrival was not necessarily the final destination of the ship. In addition, the names found in the index are linked to actual images of the passenger lists, copied from The National Archives (TNA) collection series BT26.

The passenger lists date from 1878 to 1888 and 1890 to 1960. However, many of the pre-1890 lists were irregularly destroyed by the Board of Trade in 1900. Therefore, there are not many lists included in this database that date from these earlier years.

Separate lists were kept for British (and Commonwealth) passengers and Alien passengers. In addition, there was a variety of form types used throughout the years. These differences in forms may result in a variety of information recorded for different passengers.

When it is available, the following information is included in this index:

Name of passenger

Birth date or age

Arrival date

Port of departure

Port of arrival*

Ports of voyage, if recorded

Vessel name

Shipping line, if recorded

Official number, if recorded

Source information (TNA collection number, piece, and item numbers)

*The Ports of Arrival listed are the final destinations of the ship. However, if the ship had a stopover in the UK en route to another destination, it still had to have a passenger list filled out.

Additional information such as the passenger’s occupation and intended address in the United Kingdom may also be listed on some forms. From the 1930s entries included the abbreviation, “T”, if the visit was for the purpose of tourism. Be sure to view the image of the original passenger list for any additional information relating to a passenger. Keep in mind that some passenger lists were several pages long – you may need to use the “Previous” and “Next” buttons in the image viewer in order to see all of the images relating to a particular list.

References

  1. Keane Ambrose on Germani in 1906 - The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists.; Class: BT26; Piece: 103; Item: 28
    1. Ambrose, Keane Matthew
    2. Arrival