Genealogy Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Boards

Quick Search

Single word search

Tools

Findmypast DNA Banner

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Am I right in thinking this???

Login to Add Reply Watch This
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

McDitzy

McDitzy Report 22 Feb 2005 22:31

Thanks Nell. Gives me an idea. Chloe

Unknown

Unknown Report 22 Feb 2005 19:24

Found another site which gives a recorded time for one ship from Liverpool to Boston as 13 days. nell

Unknown

Unknown Report 22 Feb 2005 19:23

Whilst trying to find average crossing times by googling, i found this site which shows how hazardous such a crossing was: http://home*.*earthlink*.*net/~dickjones2/Underwriter*.*htm it gives the average time of one vessel as 33 days. nell

Peter

Peter Report 22 Feb 2005 19:13

As a crossing to the USA was under sail then, it depended on the wind and weather to the time it took but on average it would of been about a week to 10 days. thou steam was comeing in then(I think) most people could not afford that but thay could cross in 5-6 days

McDitzy

McDitzy Report 22 Feb 2005 18:24

Thanks David. That is a great help.

David

David Report 22 Feb 2005 18:18

The closest match I could find was this: Female BESSANT Sept qtr 1854 Christchurch 2b 467. However, Christchurch was part of Hampshire at the time, and 'Female' suggests a simultaneous birth/death registration. My guess is that the parents simply didn't bother registering Ellen's birth. The law was a bit lax at the time and, well, if Charles and Sophia were planning to emigrate to America in a few weeks time, why bother? Dave

McDitzy

McDitzy Report 22 Feb 2005 18:04

Thanks Twinkle.

Twinkle

Twinkle Report 22 Feb 2005 18:04

Very possibly. She might even have been born on board. I don't know how long it took to sail to America, or if there were any delays caused by bad weather etc. There are lists of babies born at sea, which start in 1854 on the nationalarchivists site.

McDitzy

McDitzy Report 22 Feb 2005 17:58

Ok.... I have contacted someone (not through GR) about their ancestor Ellen Bessant who was born 19th July 1854 apparently in Dorset. Her father was Charles, who died c1859 in Illinois (USA), her mother was Sophia Jane/Jane Sophia. SKS has found Charles, Sophia and Ellen on the Mormon Immigration Index. They arrived in NY on 23rd October 1854, Ellen is down as aged 2 months old. I can't for the life of me find an Ellen Bessant born in the right time, or even close to the time and area, neither can the lady who's doing a one name study. I started thinking that perhaps they didn't have time to register her before they left for the USA. How long did it usually take to travel across the Atlantic in the 1850s? Which means that she may well have been born in Dorset on 19th July 1854, BUT just wasn't registered. Do you think I am on the right track? Chloe