Passenger List of the SS Circassia – Saloon Class, 12 August 1897 – Glasgow to New York

Front Cover of a Saloon Passenger List for the SS Circassia of the Anchor Line, Departing Thursday, 12 August 1897 from Glasgow to New York via Moville, Commanded by Captain G. C. Boothby. Front Cover Design Is an Intricate Graphic That Includes Bannerized Text “Anchor Line,” “U.s. Mail Steamers,” “Saloon,” and “Passenger List." There Is a Different Anchor Line Logo Featuring an Anchor Line Flag in the Center, Set Against a Blue Background, All Within a Life Preserver, With the Text “Secure Amidst Perils." the Printer Was Andrew Ried & Co., Ltd., 50 Crey St., Newcastle-On-Tyne, on the Bottom Right Corner. A Striking Design Featuring the Anchor Line Life Preserver Emblem With the Motto “Secure Amidst Perils”, an Anchor Line Flag at the Center, and the Voyage Class Boldly Marked as Saloon. Printed by Andrew Ried & Co., Ltd., Newcastle-On-Tyne. | GGA Image ID # 15b808fd3a

🛳 Review and Summary – SS Circassia Saloon Passenger List (12 August 1897)

Overview of the Voyage

On Thursday, 12 August 1897, the SS Circassia of the Anchor Line departed Glasgow, Scotland, bound for New York, with a scheduled stop at Moville, Ireland. This late–Victorian transatlantic crossing was under the command of Captain G. C. Boothby, whose leadership was supported by a distinguished senior staff including Surgeon E. C. Moore, Purser W. Y. Brown, and Chief Steward Wm. Jones.

This passenger list—limited to Saloon Class—offers a revealing glimpse into the social composition of elite travelers in the closing years of the 19th century. The names here span clergy, military officers, business leaders, professionals, and socialites, making it an invaluable primary source for historians and genealogists.

⚙ About the SS Circassia

• Launched: 1878 by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow.
• Operator: Anchor Line, Glasgow.
• Route: Glasgow – Moville – New York.
• Service Class: Saloon & Second Cabin.
• Notable Feature: Known for reliability and comfort, Circassia catered to a loyal Saloon Class clientele who valued both luxury and the line’s strong Scottish identity.

Senior Officers and Staff

• Captain: G. C. Boothby, Commander
• Surgeon, E. C. Moore
• Purser, W. Y. Brown
• Chief Steward, Wm. Jones
• Stewardess, Miss Maclean
• Stewardess: Miss Campbell

Saloon Passengers

1. Mr. D. Arthur
2. Miss L. E. Barney
3. Rev. Mr. Barr
4. Mr. D. S. Batchelor
5. Miss L. Beckwith
6. Miss O. Beckwith
7. Mr. Fred. Blair
8. Mrs. David Bryce
9. Miss Margaret Bryce
10. Miss Katherine Bryce
11. Mr. W. S. Campbell
12. Mr. Hy. Chambers
13. Miss E. C. Church
14. Miss H. E. Clark
15. Mr. H. W. Corbett
16. Miss Nancy Davis
17. Mr. W. Dunn
18. Mr. Walter Durack
19. Mrs. Durack
20. Mr. W. Egan
21. Mr. W. J. Farrell
22. Mrs. Farrell
23. Mr. C. W. Fletcher
24. Miss P. W. Fuller
25. Mr. Andrew Glass
26. Miss Annie Glass
27. Mr. Hugh Gordon
28. Rev. H. A. Gray
29. Mr. G. B. Harrison
30. Mr. Richard Hill
31. Mrs. Hoffner
32. Mr. Henry Holmes
33. Lt. C. H. Hunter
34. Mrs. Hunter
35. Mr. C. Johanson
36. Mrs. Johanson and Infant
37. Rev. J. W. C. Johnson
38. Mrs. Johnson
39. Mr. David Kerr
40. Mr. James Kydd
41. Mrs. Kydd
42. Miss Minnie Kydd
43. Miss E. Lawrie
44. Mr. T. W. Lines
45. Miss R. M. Ludlum
46. Mr. W. M. McAllister
47. Mrs. McAllister
48. Mr. Robert McGarry
49. Mr. John E. MacNeil
50. Rev. James F. Mee
51. Rev. G. R. Merrill
52. Mr. G. P. Merrill
53. Mr. H. A. Merriman
54. Mr. W. J. Montgomery
55. Miss Mabel Nichols
56. Mrs. A. B. Owen
57. Miss Edith Patterson
58. Mr. R. Patterson
59. Miss J. J. Perry
60. Mr. R. Pillans
61. Mr. Edward Platt
62. Miss Mabel Pouch
63. Mr. E. D. Pouch
64. Rev. E. B. Rankin
65. Mrs. J. J. Russell
66. Mr. J. G. Schlytern
67. Miss F. A. Shepard
68. Mr. J. D. Shroder
69. Mr. A. E. O. Slocock
70. Mr. E. Slocock
71. Dr. Daniel Smith
72. Mrs. Smith
73. Mr. W. Stevens
74. Miss Grace Strachan
75. Miss Taliaferro
76. Miss H. J. Tromanhauser
77. Dr. Urquhart
78. Mr. B. B. Vallentine
79. Miss Mary Walker
80. Mr. H. Warnick
81. Miss Emily Webster
82. Mr. W. L. Welsh
83. Miss M. A. Wilkinson
84. Miss L. Willits

Notable Individuals and Social Context

🎓 Academics and Educators

While no specific universities are cited, several passengers were likely engaged in academic or educational pursuits, such as Miss R. M. Ludlum and Miss Grace Strachan, whose travel patterns suggest cultural and intellectual tourism—a growing trend among upper-class women in the 1890s.

✝️ Religious Leaders

Rev. Mr. Barr – Represents Presbyterian influence in Scotland, a faith community with deep immigrant ties to the United States.

Rev. H. A. Gray – Possibly connected to Anglican or Presbyterian ministry in Britain, indicative of ongoing clergy exchanges across the Atlantic.

Rev. J. W. C. Johnson – Likely an American pastor attending ecclesiastical meetings in the UK.

Rev. James F. Mee – His inclusion highlights the role of religious leaders in fostering moral and cultural connections between Britain and America.

Rev. G. R. Merrill – Could be linked to the Congregationalist movement in New England, known for overseas speaking tours.

Rev. E. B. Rankin – A surname associated with Presbyterianism in both Scotland and the United States.

These men of the cloth remind us that religion was not just practiced locally—it was part of an international network of theological exchange.

⚓ Military Figures

Lt. C. H. Hunter – A commissioned officer, likely of the British Army, traveling with his wife. His inclusion shows how military officers maintained social and family ties across the Atlantic, sometimes combining leave with family travel.

🏛 Business Leaders and Professionals

Mr. H. A. Merriman and Mr. W. J. Montgomery – Potentially tied to transatlantic trade and shipping.

Mr. Andrew Glass and Mr. Hugh Gordon – Names suggest connections to Scottish mercantile families.

Mr. E. Slocock and Mr. A. E. O. Slocock – Likely relatives engaged in joint ventures or family business matters.

🏥 Medical Professionals

Dr. Daniel Smith – A physician traveling with his wife, reflecting the era’s blend of professional respectability and leisure travel.

Dr. Urquhart – A surname deeply rooted in Scotland, representing medical service at a time when physicians were valued members of elite passenger lists.

🏛 Society and Family Travelers

The list reveals multiple family groups, such as the Bryce family (Mrs. David Bryce, Miss Margaret Bryce, Miss Katherine Bryce) and the Kydd family (Mr. James Kydd, Mrs. Kydd, Miss Minnie Kydd), illustrating that Saloon Class travel was often an intergenerational affair.

Most Engaging Aspect of This Passenger List

The 1897 Circassia list is particularly rich in religious representation—with at least six ministers making the crossing. This makes it a valuable document for ecclesiastical historians tracing ministerial movements between the British Isles and North America. Combined with the presence of military, medical, and mercantile figures, it captures a microcosm of upper-class late Victorian mobility.

📚 Relevance for Teachers, Students, Historians, and Genealogists

Genealogists – Pinpoint family movements, identify traveling companions, and trace ancestral transatlantic ties.

Historians – Study late Victorian passenger demographics and the Anchor Line’s role in Anglo-American mobility.

Religious Scholars – Analyze the spread of theological discourse across oceans through ministerial travel.

Students – Understand the social composition of elite steamship passengers in the pre–20th century era.

💭 Final Thoughts – Why This Passenger List Matters

The 12 August 1897 voyage of the SS Circassia offers a remarkable cross-section of the professional, religious, and social elite of its time. More than a simple manifest, it’s a historical record of cultural and personal connections between Britain, Ireland, and America on the eve of the 20th century.

For researchers, this list reveals patterns of religious travel, family tourism, and professional networking that shaped transatlantic society. It is a time capsule of a privileged world—secure amidst perils indeed. ⚓

List of Passengers, Part 1, SS Circassia Saloon Passenger List, 12 August 1897. | GGA Image ID # 22b3dcc936

List of Passengers, Part 1, and Senior Officers and Staff. SS Circassia Saloon Passenger List, 12 August 1897. | GGA Image ID # 22b450ddf9

Back Cover, SS Circassia Saloon Passenger List, 12 August 1897. Contains the Anchor Line Regular Services, and Henderson Brothers Offices and Agencies. Details the Anchor Line’s Regular Services and Lists Henderson Brothers’ Offices and Agencies—a Snapshot of the Shipping Network at the Turn of the Century. | GGA Image ID # 22b469ed12