UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960

Author Ancestry.com
Publication information Ancestry.com. UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

Narrative

https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=2997

Narrative

Original data :
Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Outwards Passenger Lists. BT27. Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments. Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England.

This database contains passenger lists recording the names of people leaving from UK ports for destinations outside of Europe. While outbound passenger lists before 1890 have not survived, this collection still covers decades of peak emigration. It includes not only British citizens but also others who traveled through the UK on their way to other destinations.

What You May Find in the Records

There is not a standard form among the lists, so details included will vary. But you may find the following information:

name
age at departure
gender
profession
last address in the UK
last country of permanent residence
country of intended permanent residence
port of departure
country of departure
date of departure
port of destination
country of destination
ship name
shipping line
ship master’s name

The National Archives website provides these interesting details:

Between 1890 and 1920, among the highest tonnage of ships were leaving British ports bound for North America. Many passengers were emigrants from Britain, Ireland and Europe. European emigrants bound for America entered the United Kingdom because travelling steerage was less expensive from a British port than from a port in Europe. The shipping companies imposed restrictions on passengers registering; passengers had to have British residency of six weeks to qualify. Many passengers too impatient to qualify for residency changed their names to avoid detection.

References

  1. Creedon FAmily to Australia 1925
    1. Creedon, Vernon Clair
    2. Immigration
  2. Keane Ambrose, 1897 from Queenstown to New York
    1. Ambrose, Keane Matthew
    2. Departure
  3. Rita Hartigan to Australia 1925
    1. Hartigan, Rita
    2. Immigration