Differing passengerlist information

[Tracey]

I finally paid for a sub to TNA's Find My Past ancestorsonboard and i am begining to think i might have been better off buying a crystal ball.

A good few years ago a member of my family paid a researcher to look up someone at TNA going to Boston /New York. He found her - great.

I then got sent the a list for the same person from The Boston Library and this contained far more information than the one from TNA and was the same as on Ancestry.

Can anyone tell me why these lists differ as it seems those of us researching our wanderers who ventured to other parts of the globe that Ancestry doesnt cover, might be missing out on vital information.

[paddyscar]

I then got sent the a list for the same person from The Boston Library and this contained far more information than the one from TNA and was the same as on Ancestry.

Can anyone tell me why these lists differ as it seems those of us researching our wanderers who ventured to other parts of the globe that Ancestry doesnt cover, might be missing out on vital information.

Hi Tracey:

The difference in information available from TNA records and those held in the Boston library is basically a difference in what information was required/collected at each port at the time.

TNA (The National Archives) is providing information transcribed from the original ships' documents. The information available, is limited to what was collected/required by the government of ships leaving British ports at that time ... often, as little as John Smith, wife and 4 children.

When the ship arrives in the foreign country, the government regulations for that country may require different information, and usually, far more of it, than the originating country. When you look at the records of people going into the US, the ship records the name, age, occupation, origin, race, nearest living relative, destination address/contact name/relationship, and sometimes, even who paid their passage and how much money they had on hand.

As always with Ancestry, whether information agrees with one source or the other, will depend on which source Ancestry used for their record. Some information is gleaned from family trees which, most importantly, may or may not have any substantiating records.

Frances

[Tracey]

Thanks Frances

[paddyscar]

You're welcome Tracey
Frances