Anchor Line Passenger Lists (1879–1938): Glasgow’s Gateway to America and Beyond
🚢 Review & Summary of the Anchor Steamship Line Passenger Lists (1879–1938)
The Anchor Steamship Line Passenger Lists Index offers an extraordinary window into nearly six decades of transatlantic migration, leisure travel, and maritime history. From the late Victorian period through the interwar years, this index meticulously catalogs surviving passenger lists from 1879 to 1938, documenting voyages primarily between Glasgow, Scotland, and New York, often via Moville, Liverpool, Queenstown (Cobh), Belfast, Halifax, and occasionally Mediterranean or cruise itineraries.
📜 Scope and Coverage
The collection spans:
Early Transatlantic Era (1879–1899) – The age of iron-hulled steamships like the SS California, SS Furnessia, and SS City of Rome, carrying saloon and second-class travelers in an era when steerage passengers were often recorded separately.
Edwardian Period & Pre-WWI (1900–1914) – Anchor Line ships such as the SS Circassia, SS Ethiopia, and TSS Cameronia catered to both luxury travelers and large numbers of immigrants bound for the United States.
Interwar Years (1920–1938) – Postwar passenger traffic included Cabin, Tourist, and Cruise Class voyages, student travel club excursions, and Mediterranean cruises aboard SS Transylvania, TSS California, and TSS Caledonia.
⚓ Key Features of the Anchor Line
Founded: 1855, Glasgow, Scotland
Typical Routes: Glasgow – Moville – New York; seasonal Mediterranean cruises
Notable Ships: SS Furnessia, SS City of Rome, TSS Cameronia, TSS California, TSS Caledonia, SS Transylvania
Service Reputation: Reliable Scottish-run line serving both emigrants and affluent travelers, later diversifying into cruising.

1879-05-17 SS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 17 May 1879
Route: London for New York
Commander: Captain James Donaldson

1883-06-30 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 30 June 1883
Route: New York to Liverpool
Commander: Captain J. J. Small

1883-12-07 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 7 December 1883
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain John Hedderwick

1884-08-23 SS City Of Rome Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 23 August 1884
Route: Liverpool to New York
Commander: Captain R. D. Munro

1884-09-05 Anchoria Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 5 September 1884
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain John J. Small

1887-09-01 SS Circassia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship LineClass of Passengers: Second Class
Date of Departure: 1 September 1887
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain A. Campbell

1888-06-13 SS City of Rome Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second Class
Date of Departure: 13 June 1888
Route: New York to Liverpool
Commander: Captain Hugh Young

1888-07-19 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 19 July 1888
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain John Hedderwick

1888-08-23 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 23 August 1888
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain John Hedderwick

1889-07-09 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 9 July 1889
Route: New York to Glasgow via Moville
Commander: Captain John Hedderwick

1890-07-12 SS Circassia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 12 July 1890
Route: New York to Glasgow via Moville
Commander: Captain John Hedderwick

1893-03-16 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second Class
Date of Departure: 16 March 1893
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain James Harris

1895-06-08 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second Cabin
Date of Departure: 8 June 1895
Route: New York to Glasgow via Moville
Commander: Captain James Harris

1896-08-20 SS City Of Rome Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 20 August 1896
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain Hugh Young

1897-08-12 SS Circassia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 12 August 1897
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain G. C. Boothby

1900-07-12 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second Class
Date of Departure: 12 July 1900
Route: Glasgow to New York
Commander: Captain Hugh Young

1901-05-18 SS Ethiopia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: First and Second Cabin
Date of Departure: 18 May 1901
Route: New York to Glasgow via Moville
Commander: Captain J. Lumsdane

1901-05-30 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second Class
Date of Departure: 30 May 1901
Route: Glasgow to New York
Commander: Captain Hugh Young

1903-06-04 SS Anchoria Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: First and Second Cabin
Date of Departure: 4 June 1903
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain F. H. Wadsworth

1903-08-08 SS Columbia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second Class
Date of Departure: 8 August 1903
Route: Glasgow to New York
Commander: Captain Walter Baxter

1904-07-02 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 2 July 1904
Route: New York to Glasgow
Commander: Captain Hugh Young

1904-08-25 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 25 August 1904
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain Hugh Young

1905-07-01 SS Caledonia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: List of Passengers on Clark's Excursions to Europe
Date of Departure: 1 July 1905
Route: New York to Glasgow via Londonderry

1907-10-12 SS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second
Date of Departure: 12 October 1907
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain James Blaikie

1910-03-26 SS Caledonia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon and Second Class
Date of Departure: 26 March 1910
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain Walter Baxter

1910-06-18 SS Furnessia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second Cabin
Date of Departure: 18 June 1910
Route: New York to Glasgow, via Moville (Londonderry)
Commander: Captain John Black

1912-08-17 SS Columbia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 17 August 1912
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain John Black

1912-08-31 SS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second Class
Date of Departure: 31 August 1912
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain Walter Baxter

1913-09-06 SS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 6 September 1913
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain Walter Baxter

1920-07-17 TSS Columbia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 17 July 1920
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain David W. Bone

1922-02-24 RMS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 24 February 1922
Route: Glasgow for New York via Moville, Liverpool, Queenstown (Cobh), and Halifax N.S
Commander: Captain James Blaikie

1922-08-19 SS City of London Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 19 August 1922
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain Arthur J. Elliott

1922-08-26 RMS Assyria Passenger List
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 26 August 1922
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain C. E. F. Osborne, R.D., R.N.R.

1923-08-23 TSS Columbia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 23 August 1923
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain G. B. Kelly

1924-07-25 SS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon and Second Class
Date of Departure: 25 July 1924
Route: New York and Boston to Glasgow via Londonderry
Commander: Captain William J. Walter

1924-10-04 TSS Columbia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 4 October 1924
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain William Gemmell

1926-01-30 SS Transylvania Cruise Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cruise
Date of Departure: 30 January 1926
Route: New York to Funchal (Madeira); Lisbon; Cadiz, Spain; Gibraltar; Algiers; Tunis, Carthage; Phaleron Bay (Athens); Constantinople; Haifa; Alexandria; Naples; Villefranche (Nice); Monte Carlo; Cherbourg; and return to New York.
Commander: Captain D. W. Bone

1926-07-31 TSS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 31 July 1926
Route: Glasgow for New York via Moville
Commander: Captain Robert Smart

1926-08-19 SS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 19 August 1926
Route: Naples to New York via Gibraltar
Commander: Captain Alex. Collie

1927-07-02 SS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 2 July 1927
Route: New York to Londonderry and Glasgow via Boston
Commander: Captain William Gemmeix
Note: This passenger list included mostly students under the direction of the Students Travel Club

1927-09-03 SS Transylvania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon and Second Cabin
Date of Departure: 3 September 1927
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain David W. Bone

1927-09-17 TSS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 17 September 1927
Route: Glasgow to Boston and New York via Moville
Commander: Captain W. B. Rome

1929-07-03 SS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 3 July 1929
Route: New York to Londonderry and Glasgow via Boston
Commander: Captain William Gemmeix
Note: This passenger list included mostly students under the direction of the Students Travel Club

1929-09-14 TSS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 14 September 1929
Route: Glasgow to Boston and New York via Belfast
Commander: Captain Frank M. Henderson

1930-05-24 SS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 24 May 1930
Route: New York to Belfast and Glasgow via Boston
Commander: Captain Robert Smart

1930-08-20 TSS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 20 August 1930
Route: Glasgow to New York via Belfast and Moville
Commander: Captain Robert Smart

1931-02-23 SS California Cruise Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cruise
Date of Departure: 23 February 1931
Route: New York to Bermuda and Return
Commander: Captain Robert W. Smart

1931-07-11 TSS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 11 July 1931
Route: New York to Glasgow via Londonderry
Commander: Captain William Gemmell

1931-07-10 SS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 10 July 1931
Route: Glasgow to Boston and New York via Belfast and Moville
Commander: Captain W. B. Rome

1932-06-25 TSS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 25 June 1932
Route: New York and Boston to Glasgow via Londonderry
Commander: Captain William Gemmell.

1932-09-16 TSS Caledonia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 16 September 1932
Route: Glasgow to New York via Belfast and Moville
Commander: Captain Alexander Collie

1933-08-16 TSS Cameronia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 16 August 1933
Route: Glasgow to New York via Belfast and Moville
Commander: Captain William Gemmell

1935-11-01 TSS Caledonia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: First Class and Tourist
Date of Departure: 1 November 1935
Route: Glasgow to New York via Belfast
Commander: Captain Alexander Collie

1936-09-11 TSS Transylvania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist
Date of Departure: 11 September 1936
Route: Glasgow for New York via Dublin
Commander: Captain David W. Bone

1936-09-18 TSS Caledonia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist
Date of Departure: 18 September 1936
Route: Glasgow to Boston and New York via Belfast and Londonderry
Commander: Captain Alexander Collie

1938-07-22 TSS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist
Date of Departure: 22 July 1938
Route: Glasgow to Boston and New York via Dublin
Commander: Captain Robert W. Smart

1938-08-19 TSS California Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist
Date of Departure: 19 August 1938
Route: Glasgow to Boston and New York via Dublin and Cobh
Commander: Captain Robert W. Smart

1938-08-26 SS Caledonia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin and Tourist
Date of Departure: 26 August 1938
Route: Glasgow to Boston and New York via Belfast and Londonderry
Commander: Captain Alexander Collie
🌟 Highlights & Most Interesting Content
Several entries stand out for their historical or research value:
1879-05-17 – SS California – An early Anchor Line voyage from London to New York commanded by Captain James Donaldson, reflecting the post-industrial revolution boom in transatlantic travel.
1884-08-23 – SS City of Rome – Noted for its impressive three-funnel design, one of the largest and fastest liners of its day, under Captain R. D. Munro.
1910-06-18 – SS Furnessia – A Second Cabin voyage under Captain John Black, ideal for genealogists researching middle-class emigrants.
1926-01-30 – SS Transylvania Mediterranean Cruise – A rare example of Anchor Line leisure cruising, including ports from Madeira to Constantinople, under Captain D. W. Bone, a notable author and seafaring chronicler.
1927-07-02 & 1929-07-03 – TSS Cameronia – Student Travel Club voyages, reflecting the interwar boom in educational tourism.
1936-09-18 – TSS Caledonia – A late-period voyage with Cabin and Tourist classes, symbolizing the twilight years before WWII halted transatlantic services.
📚 Relevance for Teachers, Students, Genealogists & Historians
For Teachers & Students – The index is a ready-made dataset for lessons on migration patterns, industrial advances in shipbuilding, and the social history of ocean travel.
For Genealogists – Each entry offers concrete leads for tracing family members who traveled via the Anchor Line, especially valuable since passenger lists often note last residence, destination, and traveling companions.
For Maritime Historians – Provides a chronological record of ship deployment, captain assignments, and shifting passenger classes, reflecting broader industry trends.
For Cultural Historians – The progression from immigration-heavy lists in the 19th century to leisure cruising in the 20th shows a transformation in transatlantic priorities.
🖼 Noteworthy Images in the Collection
Front Cover, SS California Passenger List – 17 May 1879 – Early Anchor Line cover art from the dawn of regular Glasgow–New York sailings.
Front Cover, SS City of Rome Passenger List – 23 August 1884 – Showcasing one of the most visually striking liners of its day.
1926 SS Transylvania Cruise List – A rare surviving example of cruise literature from Anchor Line, highlighting a grand itinerary across three continents.
💡 Final Thoughts – Why This Index Matters
The Anchor Steamship Line Passenger Lists (1879–1938) are more than just names on paper—they are a transatlantic storybook. They record the ambitions of immigrants, the leisure pursuits of the wealthy, the academic adventures of students, and the adaptability of a shipping line across six transformative decades. For researchers, this index is both a navigational chart to specific voyages and a cultural timeline of migration, travel, and maritime commerce.