NYC Ship arrival/detention record questions

James84179

Interested in Bridget Maguire:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TH-LSRP-L?view=fullText&keywords=Bridget%2CMcGuire%20Bridget&lang=en&groupId=

Here's her ship arrival record:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TH-LSRN-9?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJFK7-T6P&action=view&cc=1368704&lang=en&groupId=

Can someone help provide the significance of what the detention means and also what else the record tells me?

SantaNinfa

@James84179

Some background:

The 1891 Immigration Act required exclusion of certain categories (paupers, likely public charges, etc.). Ellis Island officials were particularly concerned about elderly immigrants or single women traveling alone, because they could be viewed as “likely to become a public charge” (LPC). By ensuring that an arriving immigrant was claimed by close relatives (in this case, a daughter), immigration officers could be satisfied the immigrant would be supported and not rely on public aid.

In your case, you've come upon some great information. Per the Passenger manifest:

1. Bridget is travelling with her daughter who shares the same name.
2. Not only do you have their ages, you also have their last Irish County of residence - people often spend a great deal of time searching for this
3. You can see that their passage was paid for by Bridget's (the mother) daughter

As for the Record of Detained Alien-Passengers:

1. This wording is part of the verification of identity and destination process. Immigration officials wanted to ensure the passenger really had family in the U.S. who could receive and support them.
2. It often meant that the passengers said they were going to join those relatives, and the officials held them until the family member appeared at Ellis Island to claim them.
3. Saying "2 sons and 3 daughters" lets you know she told them she has multiple children already in the U.S., but needs one of them to show up in person before release. She probably did this on purpose to show she already had strong roots here in the U.S. thereby lessening the risk that she would need public assistance.
4. The daughter that came to get her was Rose, and now you have Rose's NYC address

Hope this helps.

James84179

That helps very much!

Is it safe to assume the manifest group/number links to their ship manifest record? I assume A is for alien, but what is A2? Or C2 or O?

Also, dau = daughter?

Unfortunately, the widow Bridget Maguire, age ~52, of County Cavan I am looking for, did not have a daughter Rose or Bridget. So it sounds like I will need to keep searching.

SantaNinfa

@James84179

Yes -

The detained passenger list is part of the same book - just in the back after the manifest pages. Often, though not in this case (possibly due to damage), there will be a large Uppercase letter(s) stamped or written in the upper corner of the manifest page. If you look at the very next image #812, you'll see that this manifest page is "AA" corresponding to the A² noted on the detained passenger page, then 8/9 refer to the Line numbers.

This is very important to know. Often, when searching for people on Ancestry or FamilySearch, you will only find them on a detained passenger page, or "held for special inquiry page." This happens when the handwriting is rather hard to read on the manifest but much better on the detained passenger list. Knowing the actual manifest is in the same book, you can go backwards through the pages and, using these notations, find them on the manifest.

Of course, "dau" is daughter.

Be VERY careful with Irish ages and names - especially with women. Often you will see names like Mary Bridget become just Bridget, or Mary becomes Rose because that was her middle name and the mother was also Mary, so they called her Rose, etc… This happens all the time. Also, ages for Irish women can be wildly inaccurate, so you may need to relax your parameters a little when considering whether you have a match.

James84179

Very interesting that she had listed "no" for whether she was going to join a relative on the passenger list. Might have been why they ended up in detention…

The Bridget I'm looking for had 4 living sons I've traced to the US, a Mary Anne, a Ellen, and a Catherine. Will definitely investigate the daughter Rose to see if I can rule in or out a connection.