United States Immigration Records

Kara_Thompson

How can I determine if an immigrant listed on an incoming ship record (or coming from Ellis Island) is the same person I'm looking for? All I can find are individuals and sometimes tally marks representing family members. Families are not usually listed in units or together. There are so many people with the same name. This makes it very hard to verify which person named "Morten MADSEN" is the one I'm looking for.

Áine Ní Donnghaile

What other information do you have? You can usually eliminate or confirm some records based on other details. At least you are not looking for Patrick Kelly! Morten Madsen is not a very common name, in fact.

Work from what you know to what you want to know. The first record you have of him in the US (perhaps a census or the birth of a child or his marriage) will give you a date to start working back from. If you have any records of him in the country of his birth, those may give you information about when he left - his birth record or perhaps he was a godfather to a family member or witness at a wedding before he left.

Some US censuses include a year of arrival - always to be verified, of course. Some censuses include information on naturalization. A military record, such as a draft registration, may include his status as citizen or not.

Later naturalization records include a Certificate of Arrival - with the date and name of ship.

Not everyone came through New York City or Ellis Island (after 1892). It was often less expensive to enter through Canada and then enter the US by land. Philadelphia, Baltimore, and even New Orleans were often used for entry.

If you can share the time period you know, we may be able to be of more help. What's the first census you have found for Mr. Madsen in the USA?

Hope this helps!

Kara_Thompson

Thank you - all great ideas, and I've done most of them. I wish I knew where this person entered the US! :)

I do have many records from his country of birth. I also have records in the US after he immigrated IF it is the same person. I'd like some kind of record to verify that my person is the same person who immigrated. I know naturalization an other citizenship papers usually include where they were born and their date of birth, date of arrival, and sometimes spouse and children names. This would confirm he is the same person. Otherwise, it is just an assumption based on a name that could be someone else (I did find many people with variations of his name, and knowing how surnames worked back then, they could easily be the same person). Some records I found were of a person with the same name who did not immigrate, but stayed and died in Europe. So, it's important to have some kind of record with familial relationships or a birth date included.

Thanks for your suggestions!