Passenger List of the SS Minnesota – Tourist Third Cabin Voyage from London to New York, 4 August 1928

Front Cover, SS Minnesota Tourist Third Cabin Passenger List, Departing Saturday, 4 August 1928 from London to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer, Commanded by Captain E. Finch, RD, RNR. GGA Image ID # 13b3f1ab61.

🚢 Review and Summary of the SS Minnesota Passenger List – 4 August 1928

Introduction ✨

The SS Minnesota, operated by the Atlantic Transport Line, departed London on Saturday, 4 August 1928, bound for New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer. This voyage carried a large group of Tourist Third Cabin passengers, a class that had become increasingly popular during the 1920s for its balance of comfort and affordability. Commanded by Captain E. Finch, R.D., R.N.R., the passenger list is a remarkable snapshot of transatlantic society during the late interwar years.

The passenger manifest includes clergy, doctors, academics, families, and solo travelers, providing valuable insight into the social, cultural, and migratory currents of the era. With over 250 names recorded, this document offers genealogists, historians, and educators a treasure trove of contextual detail.

🛳️ Key Features of the SS Minnesota

Launched: 1902 (built for the Atlantic Transport Line, later used in troop transport during WWI before resuming passenger service).

Operator: Atlantic Transport Line (part of the IMM – International Mercantile Marine Co.).

Route: London → Boulogne-sur-Mer → New York.

Voyage Date: 4 August 1928.

Design & Service: Primarily a passenger and cargo carrier, the Minnesota was one of the sturdy liners used for carrying tourists and emigrants seeking affordable but reliable passage.

🌍 The Voyage Route

London: The heart of the British Empire and the ship’s principal departure port.

Boulogne-sur-Mer: A convenient continental embarkation point for travelers from France and beyond.

New York: The gateway to America, a bustling hub for immigrants, students, tourists, and professionals alike.

This route reflected the increasing democratization of transatlantic travel during the 1920s, as more middle-class families, students, and clergy could afford the Tourist Third Cabin.

Explore the Tourist Third Cabin Passenger List of the SS Minnesota (Atlantic Transport Line), departing London for New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer on 4 August 1928. Includes clergy, doctors, academics, and families—an invaluable resource for historians, teachers, students, and genealogists.

Senior Officers and Staff

1. Commander: Captain E. Finch, R.D., R.N.R.
2. Chief Engineer: W. C. Donald
3. Surgeon: H. O. Packer, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.(London) Col., R.A.M.C. (Retired.)
4. Purser: H. W. Lagden
5. Assistant Purser: C. Bennett
6. Chief Steward: W. Simkin

👥 Notable Individuals on Board

🎓 Academics & Doctors

Dr. C. Baker – Listed simply as “Dr.,” his presence highlights the growing number of professionals who traveled in Tourist Third Cabin, often on sabbaticals or research trips.

Dr. B. J. McDevitt – A medical professional, whose transatlantic travel may have been tied to conferences or teaching exchanges.

Dr. T. P. Robertson – Another physician, showing the presence of multiple medical figures, likely reflecting the expanding networks of global medicine in the interwar period.

Dr. H. Robbins – Reinforces the significance of healthcare professionals among travelers.

Dr. H. B. Smith – Adds to the unusually high concentration of doctors on this voyage, noteworthy for students of social history.

✝️ Religious Figures

Rev. J. Cole – Represents the Anglican or Protestant clergy traveling for mission work or educational outreach.

Rev. J. R. Cox & Mrs. Cox – Suggests a pastoral couple, likely engaged in transatlantic ministry.

Rev. S. Creasy – A figure whose role may have tied to missionary education.

Rev. J. Hartzler – Possibly linked to the Mennonite or Methodist movement, known for sending clergy abroad.

Rev. G. Heizer – Reflects the transatlantic reach of pastoral work.

Rev. H. M. Herzog – A significant clerical presence, with surname suggesting German or Central European background.

Rev. F. S. Idleman & Mrs. Idleman – A pastoral couple, reinforcing the ship’s role in carrying missionary families.

Rev. W. Whaley – Adds to the extensive clerical representation on this sailing.

🛐 The sheer number of clergy aboard suggests the ship may have carried groups involved in religious conferences, missionary societies, or educational programs abroad.

🎭 Cultural & Social Highlights

While no major entertainment stars appear on this manifest, the high proportion of clergy, doctors, and academics makes this voyage especially compelling. It suggests a cultural mix less centered on celebrity and more on professional exchange, religious work, and education.

Information for Passengers

BREAKFAST at 8:00 am | LUNCH at 12 noon. | DINNER at 6:00 pm

Divine Service will be held on Sundays at 11:00 am

SMOKING.—Passengers are kindly requested not to smoke in either the Dining Saloon or in the Reading and Writing Room.

SEATS AT TABLE.—Passengers who have not previously arranged for seats at table to be reserved should apply to the Second Steward.

UPPER BERTHS.—Passengers occupying upper berths can obtain steps for getting in or out on applying to the Steward or Stewardess.

MEDICAL ATTENDANCE. THE SURGEON IS AUTHORISED to make CUSTOMARY CHARGES, SUBJECT IN EACH CASE TO THE APPROVAL OF THE COMMANDER, FOR TREATING PASSENGERS AT THEIR REQUEST FOR ANY ILLNESS NOT ORIGINATING ON THE VOYAGE. IN THE CASE OF SICKNESS ORIGINATING ON THE VOYAGE NO CHARGE WILL BE MADE, AND MEDICINE WILL BE PROVIDED FREE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

THE PURSER’S OFFICE is situated on Deck 13, where Letters, Cables, Telegrams and Marconigrams are received or delivered, and Postage Stamps can be purchased.

None of the ship’s staff other than those on duty in the Purser's Office are authorized to accept Letters or Telegrams for despatch.

CHARGES COLLECTED ON BOARD. Passengers are requested to ask for a Receipt on the Company’s Form for any additional Passage Money, Chair or Steamer Rug Hire, charges collected for Marconigrams Cablegrams or Telegrams or Freight paid on board.

DECK CHAIRS and STEAMER RUGS can be hired on application to the Deck Steward, at a charge of SI each for the voyage.

VALUABLES. For the convenience of passengers, the Line has provided in the Purser’s office a safe in which money, jewels, ornaments, documents or other valuables may be deposited by passengers.

A receipt for any articles so deposited will be issued by the Purser, but the Line does not, having regard to the ticket conditions and to the provisions of Section 502 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, and of Section 4281 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, accept any responsibility for the safe custody of any such articles. Passengers are accordingly advised to protect themselves by insurance.

EXCHANGE OF MONEY. The Purser is prepared, for the convenience of passengers, to exchange a limited amount of English and American money at rates which will be advised on application.

BAGGAGE. Questions relating to Baggage should be referred to the Second Steward, who is the Ship’s Baggage Master.

WARDROBE TRUNKS. Passengers are advised that it is not always possible to arrange for the placing of Wardrobe Trunks in the passenger accommodation in a position where they are easily accessible, also that there is frequently difficulty with regard to the landing of such packages owing to their exceptional size. They are therefore recommended to use steamer trunks in preference.

BAGGAGE ROOM. For passengers’ special convenience all heavy baggage not placed into state rooms is stored in the baggage room, where it is available to the owner twice daily at hours as stated on the ship’s notice board.

DOGS. Passengers are notified that dogs should be handed over to the care of the live-stock attendant, and cannot be landed in Great Britain unless a license has previously been procured from the Board of Agriculture,. London. Forms of license must be obtained by direct application to the Department before the dog is taken on board.

TRAVELLERS’ CHEQUES. I. M. M. Company’s Travellers Cheques payable in all parts of Europe can be purchased at all the principal offices of the Atlantic Transport Line. These Cheques in small denominations are accepted on board Atlantic Transport steamers in part payment of accounts, but the Pursers have not sufficient funds to enable them to cash these or any other Cheques.

📸 Noteworthy Images

Front Cover – Featuring elegant typography and the Atlantic Transport Line flag, symbolizing authority and tradition.

Fleet List & Sailing Schedule – A snapshot of the ATL fleet (including the Minnekahda, Minnesota, and Minnewaska) serving London–New York.

Track Chart of the North Atlantic – A fascinating inclusion that allowed passengers to follow the northern, southern, and extra-southern routes.

Back Cover Graphic – The three chain links design symbolizing the connection between London, New York, and the Atlantic Transport Line itself.

These images elevate the passenger list beyond a simple register of names, transforming it into a marketing and navigational artifact of interwar transatlantic travel.

📚 Relevance for Teachers, Students, Historians, and Genealogists

For Teachers & Students: This passenger list offers a case study of 1920s transatlantic mobility, useful for understanding social history, immigration patterns, and the rise of affordable travel.

For Genealogists: Names like Davidoff, Gleason, Schiffenhauss, and McNamara reflect diverse ethnic origins, making this an important tool for family research.

For Historians: The strong representation of clergy and doctors illustrates the networks of professional and religious life in the interwar period.

For Cultural Studies: The emphasis on “Tourist Third Cabin” highlights how ocean liners democratized travel during the 1920s.

⚓ Final Thoughts – Why This Passenger List Matters

The SS Minnesota passenger list of 4 August 1928 is more than a manifest—it is a window into the social fabric of late-1920s transatlantic travel. Unlike lists filled with celebrities, this one shines by documenting missionaries, clergy, medical doctors, and academics, revealing the serious and professional side of ocean travel during the interwar years.

Its design, complete with charts, schedules, and marketing elements, also reflects the commercial strategies of the Atlantic Transport Line in appealing to cost-conscious yet aspirational travelers. For modern researchers, this document provides both genealogical detail and social-historical context, making it a vital piece of maritime heritage.

ATL Fleet List and Sailing Schedule, London-New York Service, from 28 June to 5 January 1929. Ships Included the Minnekahda, Minnesota, and Minnewaska. SS Minnesota Tourist Third Cabin Passenger List, 4 August 1928. | GGA Image ID # 22e5bbc983

Atlantic Transport Line Track Chart of the North Atlantic Ocean Showing the Northern, Southern, and Extra Southern Tracks (Routes) and Memorandum of Log (Unused). The Passenger Could Fill in the Memorandum of Log With the Daily Information Provided by the Steamship Officers. SS Minnesota Tourist Third Cabin Passenger List, 4 August 1928. | GGA Image ID # 159207cbaf

Back Cover Graphic Shows Three Chain Links With the Middle Link Stating Atlantic Transport Line-The Connecting Line Between London on the Link With a Scene of London and New York on the Link With a Scene of the Skyline. SS Minnesota Tourist Third Cabin Passenger List, 4 August 1928. | GGA Image ID # 22e5c2b76b