1878 Passenger Lists – Decorative Souvenirs & Working Manifests
📜 Abstract
In 1878, ocean travel mixed elegance and regulation: travelers received ornate souvenir lists, while masters recorded official details in handwritten manifests. This year’s records include both, offering insights into the people, ports, and practices of late 19th-century migration.
c1878 SS Pennsylvania Passenger List
- Steamship Line: American Line
- Class of Passengers: Cabin Class
- Date of Departure: circa 1878
- Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia
- Commander: Captain Thomas R. Harris.
Key Entry: SS Pennsylvania Cabin Manifest (Form C. No. 34)
13 November 1878 — SS Pennsylvania Passenger Manifest (American Line), Liverpool → Philadelphia (Cabin Class, Capt. Thomas R. Harris)
Details include:
Form: Master’s Report or Manifest of All the Passengers, Form C. No. 34 (printed 28 Oct 1878)
Passengers: Four U.S. Cabin-class individuals—Dr. Senflebeu (57, Doctor, Alsace), A. G. Chapman (29, Merchant), Chas. (“Chat”) Williams (24, Merchant), Miss Mary Laverty (45, Maid)
Date Clarity: Form imprint rules out pre-October voyages; the data is most plausibly from the 20 December 1878 arrival or a 1879 voyage. The seller’s recollection of 1878 suggests the December crossing is most likely.
Why it matters: A rare example of working administrative documentation, this provides names, professions, and citizenship details—great for genealogical reference and classroom analysis.
Broader Context: 1878 in Ocean Travel & Migration
Transatlantic Momentum: Steamship travel had become dominant—faster, more reliable, and class-segregated.
Philadelphia as Port of Entry: Though Castle Garden led in volume, Philly’s industrial economy made it a significant destination for both immigrants and returning U.S. citizens.
Passenger Class Breakdown:
Cabin (Saloon): Wealthier travelers with private accommodations
Second Cabin: Middle-class passengers, modest cabins
Steerage: Affordable but crowded conditions for immigrants
Related Links
American Line Passenger Lists Collection
Philadelphia Immigration Passenger Lists
Castle Garden Immigration Station – Overview
Souvenir Passenger Lists Collection
[Norway Heritage – SS Pennsylvania] (external)
[Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild – SS Pennsylvania] (external)
Help Us Grow the Collection — If you have a 1878 souvenir passenger list not yet digitized here, we’d love to hear from you at history@ggarchives.com
This page is part of GG Archives’ mission to preserve maritime migration ephemera. Curated with care and enriched with historical context, each listing aims to bring the personal stories—and people—behind the names to light. Thank you for supporting this labor of love!
⚠️ About Accuracy in Historical Records Research Tip
Context. The GG Archives presents passenger lists as faithfully as possible to the original documents. While OCR is generally accurate, portions of these collections—especially image captions and some transcriptions—are typed by hand and may include typographical or spelling variations. The original manifests themselves also contained clerical inconsistencies (names recorded phonetically, mid-voyage corrections, etc.).
What this means for your research:
- Search variant spellings of names (e.g., “Schmidt/Schmitt/Smith,” “Giuseppe/Joseph”).
- Cross-reference with immigration cards, passport applications, naturalization files, city directories, and newspapers.
- Treat manifests as primary sources with historical quirks—use them alongside corroborating records.
- For place names, consider historical borders and language variants (e.g., Danzig/Gdańsk, Trieste/Trst).
How to cite. When quoting a name from a manifest, consider adding [sic] for obvious misspellings and include a note such as “spelling as printed in original passenger list.”
Need help? If you spot a likely transcription error in captions, feel free to contact us with the page URL and a brief note—we love community input. 🙏
Curator’s Note
For over 25 years, I've been dedicated to a unique mission: tracking down, curating, preserving, scanning, and transcribing historical materials. These materials, carefully researched, organized, and enriched with context, live on here at the GG Archives. Each passenger list isn't just posted — it's a testament to our commitment to helping you see the people and stories behind the names.
It hasn't always been easy. In the early years, I wasn't sure the site would survive, and I often paid the hosting bills out of my own pocket. But I never built this site for the money — I built it because I love history and believe it's worth preserving. It's a labor of love that I've dedicated myself to, and I'm committed to keeping it going.
If you've found something here that helped your research, sparked a family story, or just made you smile, I'd love to hear about it. Your experiences and stories are the real reward for me. And if you'd like to help keep this labor of love going, there's a "Contribute to the Website" link tucked away on our About page.
📜 History is worth keeping. Thanks for visiting and keeping it alive with me.
