U.S. Mail Steamer New York of the American Line leaving Southampton to New York via Cherbourg 1915

Contributor Jana Black

Jana tells us:

On June 6, 1914, my grandmother, Rose Lily Colsell, aged 17, embarked upon the U.S. Mail Steamer, “New York,” of the American Line leaving from Southampton to New York via Cherbourg. For her, this was to be a summer trip with her employers back to their home in Washington State. He was Mr. Ben Allen, the American Ambassador to Great Britain. My grandmother was Nanny to the family’s two young sons. By the end of the summer, Ben Allen was told that war appeared eminent in Europe and that he was not to return. Although, my grandmother was only in this country on a temporary visa as an employee to this diplomatic family, it was decided that she would be safer remaining with them in the United States.

They took up residence at the family’s summer home in Woodland, California. Later my grandmother took a job working in the Tuberculosis Sanitorium there. In 1918, she met and married my grandfather. All of her brothers were lost in the Great War and her only sister left an abusive husband and disappeared, never to be heard from again. My grandmother never returned to Great Britain. She kept, and so have I, a copy of the List of Passengers leaflet. My grandmother is merely listed as maid.

American Line United States Mail Steamer New York From SOUTHAMPTON and CHERBOURG to NEW YORK SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 1914

Looking for other USA records? See USA GENEALOGY for searchable genealogy databases

Browse online FREE Ships Passenger Lists Choose by year of arrival in U.S.A.:
1400s           1600s           1700s           1800s           1900s

5-Step Search for Your Immigrant Ancestor in North America

Step 2: If you don't find your immigrant ancestor in a large port city, try smaller ports of arrival - Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maine, Rhode Island, Florida, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Michigan, Alaska, California, Hawaii and Washington

Step 3: Still can't find your immigrant ancestor on an American ships passenger list? Try a Canadian Port of Arrival and the Canada-U.S. border crossing records (Saint Albans Lists).

Step 4: If you still can't find your ancestor in free ships passenger lists, try ships passenger lists and naturalization records on a pay site. See the Immigration Comparison Chart to help you decide which of the fee-based sites has the passenger lists you need to find your immigrant ancestor

Step 5: Search for ships passengers in Ethnic Groups immigrating to America, other miscellaneous ports of arrival, Ships Passenger Lists on NARA microfilm, J.J. Cooke Shipping Agent Records, Castle Garden New York Ships Passenger Lists 1855-1890, Ellis Island New York Ships Passenger Lists 1894-1927 & Naturalization Records

FIND YOUR ANCESTOR IN FREE SHIPS PASSENGER LISTS TO USA

Ethnic Groups Immigrating to America Dutch to USA Organize your genealogy with FTM 2008 English to USA French to America Germans & Swiss to USA Huguenots to USA Irish to USA Italians to USA Mennonites to N. America Minorcans to Florida [Settlers from Spain, Greece, Italy, Corsica, Balearic Islands & Canary Islands] Mormons to USA Norwegians to USA Palatines (Germans) to Pennsylvania Quakers to USA Russians to USA Scottish to USA

Miscellaneous Arrival Ports New England and unknown ports Online Ships Passenger Lists Images Images of ships passenger lists Custom Search Engines Search all websites for ships passenger lists to USA CD ROMs Passenger Lists on CD ROMs & Books Immigration Mailing Lists Immigration & Ships Passenger Lists Mailing Lists Immigration Quick Tips * Find Immigration & Naturalization Records * Find an immigration year in Census Records for 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 * Check Death Records for the number or years in USA * Search Ships Passenger Lists on other Sites