SS Minneapolis First Class Passenger List – 30 September 1905 – New York to London

Front Cover, SS Minneapolis First Class Passenger List, Departing Saturday, 30 September 1905 from New York to London, Commanded by Captain Thos. F. Gates. | GGA Image ID # 16325819fa

🚢 Review & Summary – SS Minneapolis Passenger List, 30 September 1905

Overview of the Voyage

The SS Minneapolis, a proud vessel of the Atlantic Transport Line, departed New York on Saturday, 30 September 1905, bound for London. Commanded by the experienced Captain Thomas F. Gates, the ship carried an exclusive group of First Class passengers, each representing the cosmopolitan blend of business, society, academia, and leisure travel common in Edwardian-era transatlantic crossings.

This passenger list offers an invaluable snapshot of the people and social networks moving between the United States and Great Britain during the early 20th century—before the onset of the First World War would change the nature of such journeys forever.

⚙ Key Ship Facts – SS Minneapolis

• Launched: 1900 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast
• Operator: Atlantic Transport Line
• Type: Combination cargo-passenger liner, part of the ATL’s “M” class
• Route: New York ↔ London (Tilbury) direct service
• Notable Features: Luxurious First Class accommodations with spacious saloons, smoking rooms, and promenades; also designed to carry large cargoes, reflecting the dual-purpose nature of many liners of the time.

Senior Officers and Staff

• Commander: Captain Thos. F. Gates
• Surgeon: J. Leeming Walker
• Chief Steward: J. L. Martin
• Purser: Charles A. Wills

First Class Passengers

1. Miss Emily L. Bird
2. Mr. George Brabander
3. Mr. Horatio Connell
4. Mrs. Connell
5. Mr. Martin F. Connors
6. Mr. R. D. Craighead, Jr.
7. Mrs. William H. Edmonds
8. Mrs. G. Evens
9. Miss L. Evens
10. Mr. Howard Fry
11. Mr. H. W. Fry
12. Dr. George J. Grimes
13. Capt. Mortimer Hancock
14. Mrs. Hancock
15. Mrs. M. A. Hedge
16. Lady Caroline Jebb
17. Mr. George H. Kaltenbach
18. Mrs. Kaltenbach
19. Mr. H. R. Kent
20. Miss L. S. La Tourette
21. Miss Mary F. MacDowell
22. Miss A. Estelle Paddock
23. Mr. E. A. Prime
24. Mrs. Prime
25. Mr. F. H. Prime
26. Mr. F. A. Prime
27. Miss Emily B. Schenck
28. Mr. Edwin B. Smith
29. Miss Southerland
30. Mrs. Bertha Sparks
31. Miss Bertha Sparks
32. Dr. W. W. Stewart
33. Mrs. Stewart
34. Master Edward C. Stewart
35. Miss L. B. Thompson
36. Miss Virginia M. Walker
37. Mr. William Wheatley
38. Mrs. Wheatley
39. Mrs. Partridge Wood

Notable Individuals & Social Context

Lady Caroline Jebb – A figure of cultural refinement, Lady Jebb was the widow of Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb, an eminent classical scholar and Member of Parliament. Her travels at this time reflected her continued involvement in transatlantic intellectual and social circles.

Captain Mortimer Hancock – His presence among First Class passengers is notable as a military figure, likely with service ties to the British Empire. The D.S.O. was not recorded in this list, suggesting peacetime travel, possibly connected to training or inspection duties.

Dr. George J. Grimes – Representative of the medical elite, Dr. Grimes would have been part of a small but growing professional class of physicians who regularly traveled abroad to exchange medical knowledge and attend international conferences.

Mrs. M. A. Hedge and Mrs. Partridge Wood – Women of social prominence, whose presence illustrates the tradition of seasonal European travel among wealthy American and British families.

The Most Engaging Aspect

The voyage’s cultural flavor is enriched by the mix of aristocracy, professionals, and society families. This was not simply a business crossing—it was a social migration, reinforcing alliances and shared culture across the Atlantic. The passenger list is particularly interesting because it includes prominent female travelers, underscoring the increasingly public and international roles women occupied during the Edwardian era.

Information for Passengers

TRAVELERS CHECKS, payable in all parts of Europe, can be purchased at all the principal offices of the Atlantic Transport Line.
The Atlantic Transport Line has pleasure in announcing that on the 1st of May its London West End Office was transferred from 3 Cockspur Street, to new and more commodious premises, situated opposite, at No. 1 COCKSPUR STREET, S. W.

This is its principal office in London for Passenger business. Letters and Telegrams may be addressed there, and will be held until called for, or forwarded according to instructions, and the latest editions of the leading American and English papers will be kept on file.

Passengers' baggage will be received and stored at this office if desired.

Meals

• TEA and COFFEE 7 am
• BREAKFAST 8.30 am
• LUNCH  1 p.m.
• DINNER 7 p.m.

Meals for Nurses and Children:

• BREAKFAST. 8 am
• DINNER. 12 noon
• TEA 5 pm

Please apply to Second Steward for seating accommodation at Table.

LIGHTS in the Saloon are extinguished at 11 p.m., and in the Smoking Room at 11.30 p.m.

BAR closes at 11 p.m.

SMOKING is not allowed in the Saloon or Staterooms.

THE SALOON STEWARD will supply Stamps. Telegraph Forms, Books of Reference, and Railway Timetables of the Principal Companies.

DIVINE SERVICE. —Intimation regarding Divine Service will appear on the Notice Boards every Sunday morning.

VALUABLES. —Passengers are enjoined to be very careful in the disposal of small articles of baggage, more especially during Embarkation, when there are always strangers on Board.

Money, jewelry, and valuables of any kind should always be left securely under lock and key.

Passengers may deposit with the Purser any Money, Jewelry. &c., for saft keeping during the voyage, but no responsibility can be accepted for same.

For the convenience of passengers the Purser is prepared to exchange a limited amount of English and American money. The rate of exchange will be $4.80 to the £1 when giving American in exchange for English currency, and £ 1 to $4.95 when giving English money for American.

LUGGAGE.—Only hand-bags and trunks which will fit underneath the berths are allowed in the State-rooms; all large or heavy luggage must be placed in the Baggage Room, to which access can be gained by applying to the Officer in charge of Baggage.
Passengers will greatly expedite the disembarkation if they will have their State-room Baggage packed ready for removal directly on arrival, so that the transfer may at once be proceeded with.

ELECTRIC BELL CALLS. —For Steward, one ring; for Stewardess, two rings.

PASSENGERS' ADDRESSES should be left with the Purser, in order that any letters sent to the care of the Company may be forwarded.

LETTERS. —Passengers may have their letters addressed to any of the Company's Offices given below, where they will be retained until called for, or forwarded according to instructions.

📚 Relevance for Educators, Students, Historians & Genealogists

For teachers and students, this passenger list opens discussions about Edwardian transatlantic travel, social class structures, and cultural exchange.

For historians, it provides primary evidence of passenger demographics and transnational mobility during a peaceful period between major wars.

For genealogists, it offers a detailed, date-specific record for family research—complete with names, social titles, and the contextual backdrop of an elite Atlantic crossing.

💭 Final Thoughts – Why This Passenger List Matters

This record from 30 September 1905 is more than a list of names—it’s a curated roster of Edwardian society at sea. It captures a moment in time when wealth, intellect, and tradition converged on the decks of the Minneapolis, traversing an ocean that was, for them, as much a social space as a geographic barrier. Whether studied for genealogical leads, maritime history, or social context, this list is a rich resource that brings the Atlantic crossing to life. 🌊

ATL Sailing Schedule, New York-London Service, From 30 September 1905 to 23 December 1905. Ships Included the Mesaba, Minnehaha, Minneapolis, and Minnetonka. SS Minneapolis First Class Passenger List, 30 September 1905. | GGA Image ID # 22bf886ff5

Title Page, Listing of Senior Officers, List of Passengers, Part 1 (Bird-Fry). SS Minneapolis First Class Passenger List, 30 September 1905. | GGA Image ID # 22bfb69cdd

List of Passengers, Part 2 (Grimes-Wood). SS Minneapolis First Class Passenger List, 30 September 1905. | GGA Image ID # 22bfd7ecb7

Information for Passengers, Atlantic Transport Line Offices. SS Minneapolis First Class Passenger List, 30 September 1905. | GGA Image ID # 22bffa225c

Track Chart and Memorandum of Log (Unused). A Fine Example of the Navigational and Passenger Engagement Materials of the Era, Preserved in Pristine, Unused Form. Back Cover, SS Minneapolis First Class Passenger List, 30 September 1905. | GGA Image ID # 163262dfc1