Here it is the beginning of a new work week for many people and I want to start this week off by transcribing a document that is important to my family research. The document I am transcribing today is the that shows my great-grandfather, William Christian Johnson coming to America from Denmark in March 1886. William's name at birth was Christian Wilhelm Jørgensen and he was born on 19 Mar 1868 to Hans Jørgensen and Lovise Wilhelmine Petersen in the village of Udby, Hollæk, Denmark. Sometime after arriving in America, he changed his name to William Johnson. The distance between Udby and Copenhagen is roughly 48 miles, both are on the large island of Zealand (Sjælland).
Amanuensis Monday is a weekly blog theme that was started by John Newmark, the author of TransylvanianDutch blog. John defines Amanuensis as "A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another." I also appreciate the good work and format examples of San Diego genealogist Randy Seaver of the blog Genea-musings. Thanks guys.
Transcribing helps me to learn what a document contains. I have learned over time that I have a tendency to "skim" over an item; a bad trait for a researcher who needs to learn even the smallest details documented records contain. Transcribing helps me to slow down and "smell the roses."
The first image I am presenting is a copy of the heading of first page of this Passenger list and it tells of the ship's name, ships master's name, the port of departure, port of arrival, etc. I will present the handwritten information in bold-italics to provide clarity. Fields that are left blank on the original will also be left blank on the transcription. My comments will show within square brackets [ ]. I will match the column heading with the column information.
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IMAGE: Heading on page one of Passenger List from the SS Geiser arriving in the Port of New York from Copenhagen, Denmark on 23 March 1886. [1] |
(18)
PASSENGERS' LIST
"The Passenger Act. 1882"
Total Number of Alien Passengers over 8 Years. [blank]
Total Number of Alien Passengers between 1 and 8 Yrs. [blank]
Total Number of Alien Passengers under 1 Year. [blank]
Total 291 -
District of the City of the New York, Port of New York.
I, C W Møller Master of the S S Geiser do solemnly, sincerely and truly [blank] that the following List or Manifest, subscribed by me, and now delivered by me to the Collector of Customs District of the City of New York, is a full and perfect list of all the passengers taken on board said vessel at Copenhagen from which port the said vessel has now arrived; and that on said list is truly
designated the age, the sex, and the calling of each said passengers, the location of the compartment or space occupied by each during the passage, the country of citizenship of each, and also the destination or location intended by each; and that sait List or Manifest truly sets forth the number of said passengers who have died on said voyage, and the dates and causes of death, and the names and ages of those who died; also of pieces of baggage of each; also a true statement, so far as it can be ascertained, with reference to the intention of each alien passenger as to a protracted sojourn in this country. So help me God.
Sworn to this 23 Mar 1886 }
before me C Davis DC }
[Deputy Collector]
List of Manifest Of ALL THE PASSENGERS taken on board the SS Geiser whereof D W Møller is master, from Copenhagen burthen [blank] tons
-------- transcription ends --------
The second item I am transcribing is a portion the page of this passenger list that shows my great-grandfather's entry. The page is the second on this Passenger List and shows entries numbered 27 through 52. This page is a form, where empty columns are filled out by handwritten information. I am transcribing only the column headings at the top of the page and my great-grandfather's entry. William's entry is shown within the "snippet."
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| IMAGE: Second page of 23 March 1886 Passenger List showing passengers #27 through #52 who were aboard the SS Geiser, leaving from Copenhagen and arriving at the Port of New York. [2] |
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| Snippet showing a close-up of the left-hand side of entry #42 for Chr W Jorgensen. This is roughly two-thirds of the way from the top of the page. |
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| Snippet showing a close-up of the right-hand side of entry #42 for Chr W Jorgensen; with an overlap of the column that contains Udby. |
-------- transcription begins --------
No. 42
NAMES. Chr W. Jørgensen
AGE. |Years. 19| Mths. |
SEX. m
CALLING. smith
The country of which they are citizens. Udby
Intended destination or location. U.S.A.
Date and cause of death.
Location of compartment or location occupied. single male Comp.
Number of pieces of luggage. 1
Transient or in transit or intending a prolonged sojourn.
-------- transcription ends --------
Sources:
1.) "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 October 2016); image 263 of 1087, form heading and master's statement; citing List Number 300 of National Archives Microfilm Publicaton M237, Roll 493; SS Geiser out of Copenhagen, D.W. Møller master, arrived New York on 23 March 1886.
2.)"New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 October 2016); image 264 of 1087, Line 26, Chr W Jørgensen entry; citing List Number 300 of National Archives Microfilm Publicaton M237, Roll 493; SS Geiser out of Copenhagen, D.W. Møller master, arrived New York on 23 March 1886.
It was lucky for me that the ship's clerk filled out the column for "the country of which they are citizens" with the name of town/village the individual was from as passenger#42 showed Udby. Many also had their town listed although not all passengers had that level of detail. Many said they were from the USA and were going to the USA, more passengers than what seemed right.
According to the website NorwegianHeritage.com, the SS Geiser was built in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1881 by Burmeister and Wain, shipbuilders and was owned and operated by the Thingvalla Line. The dimensions of this vessel were 324.4 ft x 39.3 ft x 22 ft and had a burden of 2831 gross . On this trip the crew reported severe ice conditions between Christiana and Christiansand while enroute. The SS Geiser would sink on August 17, 1888 when struck by another ship, the SS Thingvalla, near Sable Island, a small island 190 miles southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, a maritime province of Canada. Interesting indeed. Please click here to read more about this ship's history and to see an image of this ship.
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Please comment regarding this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then use the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. I would like to hear your comments. Let me know too if you are connected to the individuals I write about. Or you can contact me by email at dsteff4246[at]gmail[dot]com. Wishing you a good day and a great week. Thank you for stopping by today.
Copyright (c) 2016, Darlene M. Steffens. All rights reserved.
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