SS California (1912): Second-Class Passage Receipt from New York to Glasgow

📌 Explore a 1912 second-class passage receipt for Jessie M. Clerihew, who traveled from New York to Glasgow aboard the SS California of the Anchor Line Steamship Company. This rare document reveals ticket pricing, travel conditions, and maritime history just weeks after the Titanic disaster. Essential reading for genealogists, historians, and maritime enthusiasts! 🚢

SS California of the Anchor Steamship Line Second Cabin Ticket Receipt, 6 May 1912 for a Voyage from New York to Glasgow on 18 May 1912. GGA Image ID # 1fa0eb45c4

Passage Receipt Summary

• Date of Purchase / Voyage: 6 May 1912 / 18 May 1912
• Steamship Line: Anchor Line Steamships Company
• Steamship: SS California
• Route: New York to Glasgow
• Ticket Type: Passage Receipt
• Voyage Class: Second Class
• Name on Contract: Jessie M. Clerihew
• Etnicity of Passenger(s): Scottish
• Contract Terms: Not Stated
• Cost of Ticket: $50.00 / $1,380.00 USD in 2020

Issued by the New York Office of the Anchor Line Steamships Company, this Second Cabin Ticket receipt was purchased by Jessie Clerihew for a voyage on the SS California on 18 May 1912 from New York to Glasgow, Scotland.

Anchor Line Steamships

New York Office

[Ticket] No. 42638

Details from Ticket

Place and Date 6 May 1912

Ship California to sail from NEW YORK, on the 18th Day of May 1912, 2nd Class Passage to Glasgow

Amount of Passage: $50.00

Inland Fare: $0, Total $50.00

Paid 22 May 1912

Name of Passenger: Jessie Clerihew  Age: 50

Address: 37 Parade

Assigned to: Room 31, Berth 4

Information on Document

• Date: 1912 May 6
• Ticket Receipt No. 42638
• Dimensions: 10.5 x 18.2 cm

• First Name: Jessie M
• Last Name: Clerihew
• Nationality: Scotland, Scottish
• Last Place of Residence: Aberdeen
• Date of Arrival: September 16th, 1906
• Age at Arrival: 34y
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Single
• Ship of Travel: Caledonia
• Port of Departure: Glasgow
• Manifest Line Number: 0021

• First Name: Jessie M.
• Last Name: Clerihew
• Nationality: Great Britain, British
• Last Place of Residence: Aberdeen, Scotland
• Date of Arrival: April 28th, 1916
• Age at Arrival: 47y
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Single
• Ship of Travel: Orduna
• Port of Departure: Liverpool
• Manifest Line Number: 0027

Relative Cost of Passage Ticket in Today's Currency Value

In 2020, the relative values of $50.00 from 1912 ranges from $985.00 to $27,700.00.

A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $1,380.00. This answer is obtained by multiplying $50 by the percentage increase in the CPI from 1912 to 2020.

This may not be the best answer.

The best measure of the relative value over time depends on if you are interested in comparing the cost or value of a Commodity, Income or Wealth, or a Project.

If you want to compare the value of a $50.00 Commodity in 1912 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real price of that commodity is $1,380.00
• real value in consumption of that commodity is $2,810.00
• labor value of that commodity is $6,870.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $8,700.00 (using production worker compensation)
• income value of that commodity is $7,990.00
• economic share of that commodity is $27,700.00

If you want to compare the value of a $50.00 Income or Wealth , in 1912 there are five choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real wage or real wealth value of that income or wealth is $1,380.00
• household purchasing power value of that income or wealth is $2,810.00
• relative labor earnings of that commodity are $6,870.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $8,700.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative income value of that income or wealth is $7,990.00
• relative output value of that income or wealth is $27,700.00

If you want to compare the value of a $50.00 Project in 1912 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real cost of that project is $985.00
• household cost of that project is $2,810.00
• labor cost of that project is $6,870.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $8,700.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative cost of that project is $7,990.00
• economy cost of that project is $27,700.00

Source: www.measuringworth.com Samuel H. Williamson, "Seven Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount, 1790 to present," MeasuringWorth, 2022.

🚢 SS California (1912): A Second Cabin Passage Receipt for Transatlantic Travel

📜 Overview: A Glimpse into Early 20th-Century Ocean Travel

This Second Cabin Ticket Receipt, dated 6 May 1912, is an important historical document showcasing transatlantic passenger travel aboard the SS California of the Anchor Line Steamship Company. Purchased by Jessie M. Clerihew, a Scottish traveler, the ticket secured her passage from New York to Glasgow, Scotland, in second-class accommodations on 18 May 1912.

📌 Why is this document significant?

✔️ Provides insight into the experience of second-class travelers on early 20th-century steamships.

✔️ Highlights the role of the Anchor Line in transatlantic crossings between the U.S. and Scotland.

✔️ Reveals the cost of travel and how it compares to modern currency values.

✔️ Offers a valuable genealogical link for researchers tracing Scottish ancestry.

✔️ Reflects on a period of significant movement between Britain and the U.S., just weeks after the Titanic disaster.

🚢 The SS California was one of the key passenger ships operated by the Anchor Line, serving as a vital connection between the United States and Scotland.

🌍 Who Would Find This Document Valuable?

📖 Teachers & Students – A firsthand historical source for studying transatlantic passenger travel and social class divisions.

🧬 Genealogists – An essential record for tracing Scottish immigrants or travelers returning home.

📜 Historians – Explores the operations of the Anchor Line, ticketing systems, and second-class accommodations.

🛳 Maritime Enthusiasts – A fascinating glimpse into one of the lesser-known but vital steamship routes of the early 1900s.

📜 Key Details of the Passage Receipt

📅 Date of Purchase: 6 May 1912

📅 Voyage Date: 18 May 1912

🚢 Steamship Line: Anchor Line Steamship Company

🛳 Steamship: SS California

🌍 Route: New York → Glasgow, Scotland

🎟 Ticket Type: Second-Class Passage Receipt

💰 Cost of Ticket: $50.00 (~$1,380 in 2020 USD)

🛏 Voyage Class: Second Class

👤 Passenger: Jessie M. Clerihew, Age 50

🏡 Residence: Aberdeen, Scotland

🛏 Assigned Room: Room 31, Berth 4

📌 Did You Know?

✔️ Second-class passengers enjoyed more space and comfort than steerage travelers, often having private cabins and better meals.

✔️ Anchor Line was a Scottish-based shipping company that specialized in routes between North America and Scotland.

✔️ Jessie M. Clerihew’s name appears in multiple passenger records, suggesting she made several transatlantic trips.

🛳 The Journey: A Transatlantic Crossing in 1912

⚓ Jessie M. Clerihew’s travel history:

✔️ Originally arrived in the U.S. on 16 September 1906 aboard the SS Caledonia.

✔️ Later recorded arriving in the U.S. again on 28 April 1916 aboard the SS Orduna.

✔️ This voyage on the SS California in 1912 was likely a return trip to Scotland.

📌 Did You Know?

✔️ The Anchor Line was one of the preferred choices for Scots traveling between the U.S. and Britain.

✔️ Traveling in second class allowed passengers to avoid the crowded steerage accommodations while still being affordable compared to first class.

🛳 The SS California: A Key Passenger Ship

✔️ Built in 1907, the SS California was a popular liner operating between New York and Glasgow.

✔️ Part of Anchor Line’s fleet, which catered largely to Scottish emigrants and business travelers.

✔️ Designed with second-class and steerage accommodations, making it accessible to middle-class travelers.

✔️ Sunk by a German U-boat (U-85) in 1917 during World War I while en route from New York to Glasgow.

📌 Did You Know?

The SS California was one of the earliest ships to be targeted by German U-boats during unrestricted submarine warfare in WWI, leading to heightened tensions between the U.S. and Germany.

🛏 Life in Second-Class on the SS California

🛳 What was second-class travel like?

✔️ Private cabins instead of dormitory-style bunks.

✔️ Meals served in a separate dining area with better quality food than steerage.

✔️ Access to lounges, reading rooms, and limited deck space.

✔️ Moderate social separation from first-class passengers but far superior to steerage.

📌 Did You Know?

✔️ Second-class accommodations on many steamships were considered luxurious compared to steerage, often resembling first-class rooms from earlier decades.

✔️ Passengers in second class were still subjected to strict health inspections upon arrival in the U.S. or Britain.

🖼 Noteworthy Images in the Collection

🖼 📜 The Original Passage Receipt – A rare document detailing a transatlantic journey just weeks after the Titanic disaster.

🖼 🚢 The SS California – A historically significant steamship that met a tragic fate during World War I.

🖼 📄 Passenger Records – Jessie Clerihew’s travel history provides a unique glimpse into repeat transatlantic crossings.

💰 Cost of Passage: Then vs. Now

💰 1912 Ticket Price: $50.00 USD

💰 2020 Equivalent: $1,380 to $27,700, depending on the metric used.

📌 Comparison with Today:

✔️ The cost of second-class passage in 1912 was roughly equivalent to a modern-day economy-class airline ticket.

✔️ Compared to steerage, second-class passengers paid a premium for comfort, but it was still far more affordable than first class.

🔹 Conclusion: This ticket receipt provides valuable insight into the economic and social aspects of transatlantic travel in the early 1900s.

🧬 Genealogical & Historical Value of This Document

📜 For Genealogists:

✅ Confirms passenger name, age, birthplace, and travel history.

✅ Offers evidence of repeated transatlantic travel, suggesting family ties in both Scotland and the U.S.

✅ Links to other passenger records and potential immigration or naturalization documents.

🏫 For Teachers & Students:

✅ Provides a real-life case study of second-class ocean travel.

✅ Explores early 20th-century migration, ticketing systems, and ocean liner operations.

✅ Links to broader discussions on steamship travel, immigration, and social class divisions.

📖 For Historians:

✅ Examines the role of the Anchor Line in early 20th-century passenger travel.

✅ Provides insight into second-class accommodations and ticket pricing.

✅ Highlights the significance of transatlantic routes before World War I.