SS Friesland Passenger List, 16 August 1905 – Notable Missionaries, Professors, and an Olympic Champion

Front Cover of a Cabin Passenger List for the SS Friesland of the American Line. The Ship Departed Wednesday, 16 August 1905 from Liverpool to Philadelphia, Commanded by Captain C. J. Rogers. The Friesland Arrived in Philadelphia on 27 August 1905. [1] GGA Image ID # 158f0ac243

🚢 Review and Summary – SS Friesland, 16 August 1905

The SS Friesland of the American Line embarked on her transatlantic voyage from Liverpool on Wednesday, 16 August 1905, with an intermediate stop at Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland, before steaming westward to her final destination in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she arrived on 27 August 1905. Commanded by Captain C. J. Rogers, the voyage carried an eclectic mix of missionaries, professors, military veterans, actors, lawyers, journalists, and distinguished travelers—a remarkable cross-section of Edwardian society at sea.

🚢 About the SS Friesland

• Launched: 1889 by John Roach & Sons, Chester, Pennsylvania.
• Operator: American Line.
• Typical Route: Liverpool – Queenstown – Philadelphia.
• Type: Passenger steamship built for both comfort and efficiency in the competitive transatlantic trade.
• Notable Features: The Friesland was part of the American Line fleet that carried both immigrant steerage passengers and higher-paying cabin travelers, symbolizing the mix of business, leisure, and migration at the turn of the century.

Senior Officers and Staff

1. Captain: C. J. Rogers – The experienced master mariner who commanded the voyage.
2. Surgeon: Frank Peterkin
3. Purser: B. J. Priest

List of Passengers

1. Dr. C. A. Adams
2. Mrs. Adams
3. Miss Gertrude M. Adams
4. Dr. Henry C. Allen - M.D. (Note 1)
5. Miss Eleanor Avery
6. Mrs. C. F. Ayer - Attorney
7. Mrs. C. Abrams
8. Mrs. E. Ambrose
9. Mr. Jos. A. Abram
10. Miss Nellie A Bond
11. Miss Virginia Brown
12. Miss Florence E. A. Best
13. Miss Mary Barrow
14. Mrs. H. C. Boden
15. Miss Elizabeth Boden
16. Mr. Harry C. Boden, Jr.
17. Rev. H. M. Bovey
18. Miss M. E. Brown
19. Professor Daniel Batchelor
20. Miss Florence M. Batchelor
21. Mrs. S. J. Bartlett
22. Miss Edith J. Broomhall (Note 2)
23. Miss Evelyn V. Balmer
24. Mr. Sydney Bourne
25. Miss Eliza Beck
26. Mr. Charles H. Bartlett - (Note 3)
27. Mr. Robert Cook
28. Mrs. J. S. Croll
29. Mrs. E. W. Curtis
30. Rev. Hunter Corbett (Note 4)
31. Mrs. Corbett (Note 5)
32. Miss Louise Corbett (Note 6)
33. Master Scott Corbett (Note 7)
34. Mr. Myer Cohen
35. Mr. J. A. Cherpe
36. Mrs. Cherpe
37. Master John Cherpe
38. Miss Mary Cherpe
39. Miss Mabel A. Carpenter
40. Miss Alice Corfield
41. Mr. Charles Corbett
42. Master Ross Corbett
43. Dr. C. A. Covell
44. Mrs. Covell
45. Mr. F. H. Clayton
46. Mrs. Clayton
47. Mrs. J. H. Clarke
48. Mrs. J. Clendenning and Infant
49. Mr. Joseph Clarke
50. Miss M. L. Chiquoine
51. Miss Emily Cowles
52. Mrs. W. H. Diller
53. Rev. P. F. Donegan
54. Miss Sadie Disston
55. Rev J. S. N. Demorest
56. Mr. Alfred Evenden
57. Mrs. Evenden
58. Miss M. V. Fort
59. Miss Clara C. Flinn
60. Rev. Joseph Fletcher
61. Mrs. Fletcher
62. Prof. G. W. Gilmore of the College of Agriculture, Cornell University
63. Mrs. A. F. Groves
64. Mr. William Grant
65. Mrs. Grant
66. Mr. W. Grant, Jr.
67. Miss Bessie W. Hance
68. Rev. Dr. Wayland Hoyt
69. Mrs. Hoyt
70. Miss Bertha Hanson
71. Mr. Hamilton A. Hymes
72. Mrs. Hymes
73. Miss L. E. Jackson
74. Miss Catherine James
75. Mrs. J. B. Jones
76. Miss Lucy M. Jones
77. Miss Sarah M. Johnson
78. Mrs. S. Klein
79. Master Lion Klein
80. Mr. Leslie Kenyon Actor, Theatre (Note 8)
81. Mr. Ernest Kitson
82. Mrs. Kitson
83. Master Sydney Kitson
84. Master Herbert Kitson
85. Miss S. May Kitson
86. Mr. Percy A. Kitson
87. Mr. John Kaiser
88. Mrs. Kaiser
89. Master Harold Kaiser
90. Mrs. W. S. Kellogg
91. Miss N. R. Kellog
92. Miss Margaret Kilroy
93. Mrs. Mary Kempe
94. Miss A. Kempe
95. Miss Ethel Lamont
96. Miss Lewis
97. Miss Lewis
98. Mrs. M. L. Merdenhall
99. Mr. P. J. McCabe
100. Mrs. McCabe
101. Mr. J. J. Morrissey
102. Mr. P. Murphy
103. Mrs. Murphy
104. Miss Rebecca J. Martin
105. Mrs. C. McCready
106. Mr. E. B. Mahood
107. Mrs. Mahood
108. Miss E. J. McKenzie
109. Mrs. T. H. McDevitt
110. Miss Shirley McPhail
111. Mrs. W. S. Merriman
112. Miss Edith E. Merriman
113. Mr. Walter D. Meals (Note 9)
114. Mrs. Meals
115. Miss Emma C. Nelms
116. Mr. H. L. Nelms
117. Miss E. J. Newkirk
118. Miss S. H. Newkirk
119. Rev. J. S. Nichols
120. Mr. Wm. Owen
121. Miss Ella M. Olmstead
122. Miss Mary Petty
123. Miss Mary Pickard
124. Miss Elizabeth Perkins
125. Mr. John H. Partenheimer
126. Miss Lottie Ronald
127. Mr. A Stewart
128. Mr. M. Mellor Smith
129. Mrs. A. P. Sweeney
130. Miss E. P. Schofield
131. Mr. John S. Stevens
132. Mrs. Stevens
133. Miss Mary Stevens
134. Miss Beulah Spencer
135. Dr. W. C Stillwell
136. Mrs. Stillwell
137. Miss Anna Stillwell
138. Mr. Abel Stillwell
139. Mr. Stillwell, Jr.
140. Miss Bridget Shea
141. Mrs. I. P. J. Sensenderfer
142. Miss Helen Sensenderfer
143. Mr. R. E. P. Sensenderfer (Note 10)
144. Miss L. C. Schneiderowicz (Note 11)
145. Miss Margaret C. Seyler
146. Miss Grace Stephenson
147. Mrs. C. M. Seltzer
148. Miss M. L. Seltzer
149. Miss Elizabeth Seltzer
150. Mr. E. T. Sessinghaus
151. Miss Harriett Smith
152. Miss Lily M. Smith
153. Miss Miriam Thomas
154. Mr. H. M. Tompkins
155. Mrs. Tompkins
156. Mrs. J. J. Treacy
157. Miss A. L. Taylor
158. Miss C. J Taylor
159. Mr. W. R Vickroy (Note 12)
160. Mrs. Vickroy and child
161. Rev. W. A. Warner
162. Col. John A. Wiedersheim (Note 13)
163. Miss Lilian Wiedersheim
164. Miss Nora Whelan
165. Miss Irene Watson
166. Mr. R. H. White

Notes About Passengers

1. Dr. Henry C. Allen - M.D. (2 Oct 1836 - 22 Jan 1909) Canadian-American Physicain - Civil War under General Ulysses S. Grant - Later founded Hering Medical College and was Dean and Professor of Materia Medica until his death
2. Miss Edith J. Broomhall - Author Spanish Composition
3. Mr. Charles H. Bartlett - Charles Henry Bartlett (1885-1968) Competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics where he won the gold medal in the 100 kilometres competition
4. Rev. Hunter Corbett (8 December 1835-7 January 1920) was an American missionary to China.
5. Mrs. Corbett (Née Harriett Robina Southerland (1859 - 1936))
6. Miss Louise Corbett (5 Sep 1894 - 12 Feb 1930)
7. Master Scott Corbett - Scott Southerland Corbet (14 Aug 1893 - ?)
8. Mr. Leslie Kenyon Actor, Theatre
9. Mr. Walter D. Meals - Cleveland lawyer and former Judge of the Court of Appeals - Appointed by President Harding to head a special court to determine the settlement of claims pending against the United States Shipping Board in 1921
10. Mr. R. E. P. Sensenderfer - Newspaper Reporter - Evening Bulleting
11. Miss L. C. Schneiderowicz - Although their real last name was Schneiderowicz, they later preferred to use the shorter version Schneider
12. Mr. W. R Vickroy - St. Louis School Teacher
13. Col John A. Wiedersheim - Former commander of the Veteran Corps, First Regiment Infantry, N.G.P.

📜 Notable Individuals & Historical Context

🎓 Academic and Professional Figures

Prof. G. W. Gilmore – A faculty member in the College of Agriculture, Cornell University, representing the rise of American agricultural sciences during the Progressive Era.

Professor Daniel Batchelor – Academic traveler, likely returning from studies or lectures in Europe.

⛪ Religious Leaders

Rev. Hunter Corbett (1835–1920) – A legendary American Presbyterian missionary to China, who had served in Shandong since the 1860s. Revered for his decades-long mission work and known for founding schools, churches, and hospitals in China. Traveling with:

Mrs. Corbett (Mrs. Harriett Robina Southerland Corbett) (1859–1936) – Active in mission support and women’s church organizations.

Miss Louise Corbett (1894–1930) and Master Scott Corbett (1893–?) – Their children, traveling as part of the family’s furlough.

Rev. Dr. Wayland Hoyt – Influential Baptist minister and noted orator, recognized for his leadership in prominent American congregations.

Rev. P. F. Donegan and Rev. J. S. Nichols – Likely Catholic and Protestant clergymen returning from visits to Europe or religious conferences.

Rev. Joseph Fletcher – Clergyman whose inclusion underscores the strong clerical presence aboard.

⚖️ Legal and Civic Leaders

Mrs. C. F. Ayer – An attorney at a time when women lawyers were still rare in the U.S.

Mr. Walter D. Meals – Cleveland lawyer and former Judge of the Court of Appeals, later appointed by President Harding to head a special court resolving United States Shipping Board claims (1921).

🎭 Entertainment and Arts

Mr. Leslie Kenyon – A stage actor whose presence reflects the transatlantic theatre circuit linking London, New York, and Philadelphia.

⚔️ Military

Col. John A. Wiedersheim – Former commander of the Veteran Corps, First Regiment Infantry, National Guard of Pennsylvania, symbolizing post–Civil War and Spanish-American War veteran networks.

📰 Journalism

Mr. R. E. P. Sensenderfer – Newspaper reporter for the Evening Bulletin, likely gathering stories and cultural observations from Europe.

🏅 Sports and Notable Achievements

Mr. Charles H. Bartlett (1885–1968) – British Olympic cyclist who won gold in the 100 km race at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, here appearing three years prior to his Olympic fame.

📚 Literature and Education

Miss Edith J. Broomhall – Author of Spanish Composition, representative of the scholarly and literary travelers on board.

Mr. W. R. Vickroy – St. Louis school teacher, reflecting educational exchanges between the U.S. and Europe.

Information for Passengers

 

Meals:

• BREAKFAST at 8 am.
• LUNCH at 12:30 pm.
• DINNER at 6 pm.
• SUPPER at 9 pm.

The Bar closes at 11 pm LIGHTS are extinguished in the Saloon at 11 pm and in the Smoking Room at 11-30 pm.

Please apply to the Second Steward for Seats at Table

Inquiries regarding Baggage will be attended to by the Second Steward, to whom all Baggage that Passengers wish to leave in the Company's care should be handed, properly labeled, and with full instructions as to disposal.

Steamer Chairs can be obtained on the voyage at a charge of 4s each upon application to the Second Steward.

Valuables: Passengers may deposit with the Chief Steward any money, jewelry, &c., for safekeeping during the voyage. Still, no responsibility can be accepted for the same.

Persons holding Return Certificates should give as early notice as possible of the dale upon which they desire to sail from Philadelphia to the American Line, Land Title Building, Broad and Sansom Streets, Philadelphia.

Letters may be addressed to the care of any of the Offices named below, and they will l>e retained until called for or forwarded according to instructions. All such letters should hear the address they should be sent if not called for.

Travelers' Checks, payable in all parts of Europe, can be purchased at all the principal offices of the American Line.

📚 Relevance for Researchers & Educators

This passenger list offers rich interdisciplinary value:

Historians can examine early 20th-century transatlantic social networks.

Genealogists can trace family movements and connections.

Students can explore themes of migration, religion, sports history, and the arts in the pre–World War I world.

Cultural scholars can analyze how religion, science, and entertainment intersected in an age of expanding global mobility.

💡 Final Thoughts – Why This Passenger List Matters

The 16 August 1905 sailing of the SS Friesland represents a fascinating cross-section of Edwardian society—from missionaries in far-flung China to Cornell professors, Olympic athletes, military veterans, and stage actors. The voyage underscores the transatlantic cultural exchange of the early 1900s and offers a snapshot of the people shaping education, religion, entertainment, and politics on both sides of the Atlantic. For modern researchers, this list is a primary source goldmine—bridging individual life stories with broader historical trends.