Death Certificate for an immigrant who died at New York's Ward Island Quarantine Hospital

🔍 The Death Certificate of George V. Anson, an English immigrant (1876)

The story of George V. Anson, an English immigrant who arrived in New York on February 29, 1876, and perished just four days later at Ward’s Island Quarantine Hospital, is a sobering reminder of the harsh realities faced by 19th-century immigrants.

This rare death certificate offers an intimate glimpse into the intersection of immigration, public health, and quarantine policies, shedding light on the risks and vulnerabilities that many immigrants encountered upon reaching America.

📜 Why This Document Matters:

A rare immigration record that differs from commonly available ship manifests or naturalization papers.

🔹 Public health implications—highlighting the dangers of disease, poor travel conditions, and inadequate medical care.

🔹 Historical significance—revealing how quarantine stations like Ward’s Island and Castle Garden served as the precursors to Ellis Island.

🔹 For teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, this document serves as an invaluable case study of America’s early immigrant health policies and the evolving role of quarantine measures in controlling infectious diseases.

🔬 What You’ll Discover in This Article:

✅ A full transcription of the 1876 death certificate

✅ Background on Castle Garden & Ward’s Island—the first U.S. immigration and quarantine stations

✅ An explanation of causes of death (Mania a Potu, Erysipelas, Acute Cerebral Meningitis)

✅ The evolution of U.S. quarantine laws, leading to Ellis Island’s nationalized health screenings

✅ Historical images of Ward’s Island, Castle Garden, and early immigrant hospitals

As immigration surged in the late 19th century, so did public health concerns. Quarantine hospitals were the first line of defense against cholera, yellow fever, and typhoid outbreaks. George V. Anson’s tragic fate illustrates how some immigrants never got the chance to start their new lives—instead, their journeys ended in quarantine, illness, or death.

🚢 This is more than just a death certificate—it’s a window into the untold stories of immigration history.

Death Certificate for an Immigrant Who Died at New York’s Ward Island Quarantine Hospital From Mania a Potu, Erysipulas, and Acute Cerebral Meningitis, 1876. Commissioners of Emigration of the State of New York. Courtesy of Paper Americana & Postal History. GGA Image ID # 221ffe98ac. Click to View a Larger Image.

Transcription of 1876 Emigrant Death Certificate

Commissioners of Emigration of the State of New York, Emigrant Landing Depot, Castle Garden, New York, March 30th, 1876.

This is to Certify, that it appears from the Manifest, or List of Passengers of the Ship or Vessel 'Republic' on file in this office that George V. Anson of England aged thirty several years arrived at the Port of New York in the State of New York, and United States of America, in the said vessel from Liverpool, England on the twenty ninth day of February 1876, and that by a Report made to this office, it further appears that the said George V. Anson died on the fourth day of March one thousand eight hundred and seventy six in the State Emigrant Hospital Wards Island, New York, of Mana a Potu et Erysipelas, Acute cerebral Meningitis.

/s/ ?? Jackson, ?? General Agent

Seal Affixed to Document: Commisioners of Emigration of the State of New York

Note: There was a Mr. H. J. Jackson, Secretary of the Board of Commissioners of Emigration at New York during that time period.

Cause of Death Explained

Mania a Portu refers to delirium tremens or alcohol madness. Erysipelas is a streptococcal skin infection commonly affecting the face or legs. Cerebral meningitis is an infectious inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

📜 The Historical Significance of the Document

1️⃣ A Rare Immigration & Public Health Record

🔹 Unlike passenger lists, ship manifests, or naturalization records, death certificates for quarantined immigrants are exceedingly rare.

🔹 This document records the fate of an individual who died shortly after arrival, shedding light on the harsh realities of immigrant life in 19th-century America.

2️⃣ George V. Anson’s Journey & Tragic End 🚢⚰️

📜 The death certificate confirms that George V. Anson, an English immigrant, arrived in New York aboard the SS Republic from Liverpool on February 29, 1876.

📅 Just four days later (March 4, 1876), he died at Ward’s Island Hospital due to a combination of illnesses:

✅ Mania a Potu (delirium tremens from alcohol withdrawal)

✅ Erysipelas (a bacterial skin infection)

✅ Acute Cerebral Meningitis

💡 This tragic case reflects the high risks that immigrants faced on arrival—many suffering from poor health, malnutrition, and unsanitary travel conditions before even reaching American soil.

Emigrant Landing Depot, Castle Garden, Before Its Transformation by Jenny Lind’s Triumph, Served As the Immigrant Depot for Arrivals in the New World. Photo by "The News," New York. GGA Image ID # 221f39a609. 🏛 Castle Garden Was the Precursor to Ellis Island, Making It a Critical Location in Early U. S. Immigration History.

Emigrant Landing Depot, Castle Garden

The Emigrant Landing Depot, Castle Garden, was a site of remarkable transformation. Originally a defensive fort, it was adapted in 1854 to serve as the first emigrant reception center in the United States. Located at the southern tip of Manhattan, adjacent to The Battery, it continued its new role until it was replaced by Ellis Island in 1890, having processed over 8 million emigrants (two out of every three) into the United States.

The experience of the immigrant, or “alien,” arriving at Castle Garden began at the Quarantine Station, six miles south of Manhattan in New York Bay, where healthy passengers were separated from the sick. Sailing vessels and steamships entered the New York harbor through the Narrows, the passageway between Staten Island and Brooklyn. Ships were then required to anchor at quarantine near the Staten Island shore.

The local authorities, constantly vigilant, were deeply concerned about the danger that shiploads of unwashed and unhealthy immigrants might carry smallpox, typhoid fever, or cholera into the streets of the city. The quarantine, a screening process they diligently enforced, was the city's defense against these potential health threats. With a ship anchored at quarantine, Castle Garden officials started their process.

Ward’s Island Quarantine Hospital: Verplanck State Emigrant Hospital at Ward's Island, 1870. Commissioners of Emigration, New York, 1870. GGA Image ID # 221f417228. 🏥 A Lesser-Known but Essential Site in U.s. Immigration History, Where Thousands of Immigrants Received Medical Care—or Perished.

🏥 Castle Garden & Ward’s Island: Immigration & Public Health in the 1800s

️⃣ Castle Garden: America’s First Immigrant Processing Center 🏛

📍 Before Ellis Island, Castle Garden (1854–1890) served as America’s first official immigrant reception center.

📊 Over 8 million immigrants were processed at Castle Garden—two-thirds of all immigrants arriving in the U.S. during that period.

🔹 The Verplanck State Emigrant Hospital on Ward’s Island, where Anson died, was an extension of the Castle Garden immigration system, dedicated to sick or quarantined immigrants.

Front View of the New York State Emigrant Refuge and Hospital Institutions at Ward's Island, 1870. Illustration by Roy Lance, Purcell, New York. The Island’s Verplanck State Emigrant Hospital Was Capable of Caring For 350 Patients. The Ward’s Island Refuge and Hospital Provided the Commissioners With Sufficient Detention Facilities. Thus the Opening of Castle Garden Concluded Its Goal of Protecting All Newly Arrived Immigrants and Relieving New Yorkers of Caring For Destitute or Sick Foreigners. GGA Image ID # 221fe91b46

Ward's Island (Castle Garden)

Ward's Island, home to the Verplanck State Emigrant Hospital associated with Castle Garden, is located approximately 8 miles north of the Emigrant Landing Depot along the East River. The hospital opened in 1847, and over time, the complex expanded to include various facilities such as a dispensary, chapel, lunatic asylum, surgical wards, fever wards, men's and women's barracks, a nursery for children, and a dining hall that could accommodate 1,200 people.

Medical Officers at Ward's Island

Dr. Alexander Trautman, superintendent of the State Emigrant Hospital 1880-1881. Richard M. Lush, warden-in-charge 1872-1873. Dr. Alexander E. MacDonald 1874-1894 (Became general superintendent in 1894, so continuing until the departments for men and women were separated in 1900, when he became superintendent of the men’s division, so continuing until his resignation in 1903.) Dr. E. C. Dent 1904-1906; Dr. Wm. Mabon, supt. and med. director 1906.

Historical Timeline of Ward's Island

1847 - Ward's Island - (Also known as Tenkenas Island (translated to Wild Lands) at its appropriation from its native inhabitants to the Dutch Settlers in 1637). Ship fever patients were sent to this Island. The most important buildings here were the Verplanck State Emigrant Hospital, capable of holding 350 patients (it was the biggest hospital complex in the world during the 1850s); the Refuge building for destitute women and children; and the New Barracks building for destitute male aliens.

In 1848, despite the tragic loss of approximately 180 lives to yellow fever at Ward's Island, the citizens' unwavering protest against the station's closure was a testament to their resilience. Despite the efforts of some state government officials and other interest groups, the station remained open. However, the citizens' demands to close the compound, often referred to as the plague house, continued to grow. Their persistence eventually led to the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene taking over the immigration and asylum buildings in 1899, opening Manhattan State Hospital.

From 1850 to 1890, Castle Garden, the immigrant landing center, witnessed a monumental event in American history. It was the first official immigration center, welcoming approximately 8.2 million immigrants. The scale of this immigration is truly staggering. Blackwell Island was used for smallpox patients, while Ward's Island was designated for other diseases.

On April 23, 1863, what is now known as the General Quarantine Act was passed. This act was a significant milestone in the history of public health and immigration, as it defined the quarantine establishment, authorized its construction, created the permanent office of the Quarantine Commissioner, defined the duties and powers of the Commissioners and Health Officer, and established a general system of quarantine for the port in New York.

Upon arrival, quarantined vessels were instructed to anchor in the Lower Bay in a designated area no less than two miles offshore. Sick passengers and crew were transferred to Swinburne Island, while persons exposed to a communicable disease but not sick were held on Hoffman Island for the period of incubation.

Ship Sailing Away from New York Harbor Showing Statue of Liberty. GGA Image ID # 19c5977575. 🗽 This Image Symbolizes Hope and a New Beginning for Immigrants, but for Many, Their Journey Ended in Quarantine, Illness, or Tragedy—As Was the Case for George V. Anson.

Quarantines at Port Cities

Quarantines protected port cities from devasting epidemics in Venice in the 14th century.

When the United States first began such protection, it fell under local and state jurisdiction. This meant that each city or state had its quarantine regulations for arriving vessels, often leading to inconsistencies and inefficiencies. The first federal quarantine legislation was passed in 1878 after yellow fever outbreaks overwhelmed local facilities, marking a significant shift in managing public health crises.

After cholera epidemics were brought into the United States by emigration passenger ships, the federal quarantine system underwent a significant expansion in 1892, a response that underscored the urgency and scale of the threat. By 1921, it was fully nationalized.

Ward’s Island Quarantine Hospital: A Forgotten Immigration Story

📍 Located 8 miles north of Castle Garden along the East River, Ward’s Island housed the Verplanck State Emigrant Hospital, one of America’s first immigrant medical centers.

🔬 The facility included:

✅ A dispensary

✅ A lunatic asylum

✅ Surgical & fever wards

✅ Men’s, women’s, and children’s barracks

✅ A chapel & dining hall for 1,200 people

💡 Many immigrants who were too sick to enter the U.S. were sent here for treatment—or, in cases like Anson’s, died shortly after arrival.

🔬 U.S. Quarantine & Public Health Policies: A Turning Point in Immigration History

️⃣ The 1878 Quarantine Act & Nationalized Health Policies

🚢 Quarantine laws in the U.S. were initially handled at state and local levels, causing inconsistencies in disease prevention.

📜 The 1878 Quarantine Act was the first federal legislation to standardize public health measures at major U.S. ports.

🔹 By 1921, the U.S. Public Health Service had fully nationalized quarantine stations, making Ellis Island a federal operation.

💡 For researchers & genealogists:

If your ancestors arrived before 1892, they may have been subject to quarantine at state-run facilities like Ward’s Island, rather than Ellis Island.

The SS Republic of the White Star Line (1871) Westward Bound in 1886. Painting by T. Howard (Mariner). GGA Image ID # 221f56b11d

The SS Republic of the White Star Line (1871)

George V. Anson, an English immigrant, arrived in New York aboard the SS Republic from Liverpool on February 29, 1876.

🚢 SS Republic was an ocean liner built in 1871 by Harland and Wolff for the White Star Line. It was intended to be the last of four vessels forming the Oceanic class before two new ships were commissioned.

The SS Republic measured 420 by 41 ft and had a gross register tonnage of 3708. It could be powered by sail, with four masts, but also had funnels painted the brown and black colors of White Star Line.

Its two reciprocating engines came from G. Forrester & Co. of Liverpool and were able to accommodate two cylinders, similar to those of the RMS Atlantic. Although it could theoretically reach speeds of 14.5 knots, it never managed to reach that speed.

After a rough maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York City on 1 February 1872, the ship was chosen to be on White Star Line's first voyage on the South Atlantic and Pacific line with four other vessels destined for Chile.

In 1874, the construction of modern vessels SS Germanic and SS Britannic led to the SS Republic becoming the standby vessel of the White Star Line. It occupied this position for 15 years, and attempts were made to modernize it in 1888.

During its service under White Star Line it could carry 166 first class and over 1,000 steerage passengers. The facilities on the ship were described as a "floating palace" when it was owned by White Star Line, and were similar to RMS Oceanic, but were slightly modernized.

When RMS Teutonic and RMS Majestic entered service the following year, the Republic became surplus to White Star's needs.

How to Purchase This Rare Document

Publisher: Commissioners of Emigration of the State of New York

Book ID: 010205

Price: USD $350.00

Seller: Paper Americana & Postal History

Dimensions: 7¾” x 8¾” (17.78 x 20.32 CM)

Link in Plain Text: https://www.read-em-again.com/pages/books/010205/1876-a-death-certificate-for-an-immigrant-who-died-at-new-york-s-ward-island-quarantine-hospital

The Seller is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), the American Stamp Dealers Association (ASDA), the National Stamp Dealers Association (NSDA), the Ephemera Society, the Manuscript Society, the American Philatelic Society (APS), the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, and the Military Postal History Society.