1887 Passenger Lists – Castle Garden Era
📜 Abstract
Passenger lists from 1887 showcase the diversity of transatlantic steamship travel in the Castle Garden era. From the French Line’s elegant La Bretagne and La Champagne, to Cunard’s Servia, Aurania, and Pavonia, to Inman and Anchor vessels, these records highlight both the prestige liners of the decade and the emigrant journeys of Second Class and Steerage travelers. For genealogists, historians, and collectors, these lists provide essential insights into the people and ships that defined 1880s ocean travel.
📌 1887 Passenger Lists
- 5 February 1887 – SS La Bretagne (CGT French Line)
- 5 February 1887 – SS La Champagne (CGT French Line)
- 26 February 1887 – RMS Aurania (Cunard Line)
- 26 March 1887 – RMS Aurania (Cunard Line)
- 4 June 1887 – SS City of Chicago (Inman Line)
- 18 June 1887 – RMS Servia (Cunard Line)
- 23 August 1887 – RMS Pavonia (Cunard Line)
- 1 September 1887 – SS Circassia (Anchor Line)
1887-02-05 SS La Bretagne Passenger List
Steamship Line: Compagnie Générale Transatlantique CGT - French Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 5 February 1887
Route: New York to Le Havre
Commander: Captain De Jousselin
1887-02-05 SS La Champagne Passenger List
Steamship Line: Compagnie Générale Transatlantique CGT - French Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 5 February 1887
Route: Havre for New York
Commander: Captain Edouard G. Traub
1887-02-26 SS Aurania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 26 February 1887
Route: Liverpool to New York
Commander: Captain Hains
1887-03-26 RMS Aurania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 26 March 1887
Route: Liverpool to New York
Commander: Captain Hains
1887-06-04 SS City of Chicago Passenger List
Steamship Line: Inman Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 4 June 1887
Route: New York to Liverpool via Queenstown (Cobh)
Commander: Captain Frederick Watkins
1887-06-18 SS Servia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 18 June 1887
Route: New York to Liverpool
Commander: Captain Horatio McKay
1887-08-23 RMS Pavonia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 23 August 1887
Route: Liverpool to Boston
Commander: Captain A. McKay
1887-09-01 SS Circassia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Anchor Steamship Line
Class of Passengers: Second Class
Date of Departure: 1 September 1887
Route: Glasgow to New York via Moville
Commander: Captain A. Campbell
📅 Passenger Lists by Voyage – 1887
| Date | Vessel & Line | Route |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Feb 1887 | SS La Bretagne French Line · Cabin · Capt. De Jousselin |
New York → Le Havre |
| 5 Feb 1887 | SS La Champagne French Line · Cabin · Capt. E. G. Traub |
Le Havre → New York |
| 26 Feb 1887 | RMS Aurania Cunard Line · Saloon · Capt. Hains |
Liverpool → New York |
| 26 Mar 1887 | RMS Aurania Cunard Line · Saloon · Capt. Hains |
Liverpool → New York |
| 4 Jun 1887 | SS City of Chicago Inman Line · Saloon · Capt. F. Watkins |
New York → Liverpool (via Queenstown) |
| 18 Jun 1887 | RMS Servia Cunard Line · Saloon · Capt. H. McKay |
New York → Liverpool |
| 23 Aug 1887 | RMS Pavonia Cunard Line · Saloon · Capt. A. McKay |
Liverpool → Boston |
| 1 Sep 1887 | SS Circassia Anchor Line · Second Class · Capt. A. Campbell |
Glasgow → New York (via Moville) |
🛳️ Spotlight Note: SS La Bretagne (1887)
The SS La Bretagne, launched in 1885 for the French Line (CGT), was one of four near-sister ships built to reestablish France’s prestige in transatlantic travel. Designed for both speed and elegance, she carried Cabin passengers in comfort while also transporting emigrants to America.
Passenger lists from La Bretagne are notable for their artistic French covers and for documenting travel between New York and Le Havre, a key route linking French emigrants and American travelers. For genealogists, they preserve details of a community less often highlighted than German or British emigrants. For collectors, La Bretagne lists are especially prized for their visual design and rarity.
🌍 Historical Relevance
International Scope: French Line lists show the role of France in 19th-century transatlantic migration.
Class Variety: The year’s lists include both Saloon and Second Class passengers, showing contrasts in social status and travel conditions.
Research Value:
🏫 Teachers & Students – Illustrates international migration beyond the British/German focus.
🧑🤝🧑 Genealogists – Records for families of French, British, and Irish descent.
📖 Historians – Reflects transatlantic competition among Cunard, Inman, Anchor, and French Line.
🗂️ Collectors – Decorative covers and French branding add ephemera appeal.
✨ Related GG Archives Links
Cunard Line Passenger Lists Collection
Inman Line Passenger Lists Collection
Anchor Line Passenger Lists Collection
French Line (CGT) Passenger Lists Collection
Castle Garden Immigration Station – Overview
⚠️ 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.
