SS Laconia Agent’s Record (1912) – Rare Third-Class Passage Ticket & Immigration Document
📌 Discover a rare 1912 third-class steamship ticket from the Cunard Line’s SS Laconia, documenting the transatlantic journey of Mrs. Annie Ambler and her daughter Ethel from Liverpool to New York. This historical ticket offers insights into prepaid passage, women’s migration, and early 20th-century travel costs—a must-have resource for genealogists, historians, and maritime enthusiasts tracing transatlantic immigration records. 🚢📜
Cunard Line SS Laconia Agent's Record of Third Class Outward Steamship Ticket, 10 August 1912 for the 20 August 1912 Voyage. GGA Image ID # 1e9ca41b23
Summary of Agent's Record
- Date of Purchase / Voyage: 10 August 1912 / 20 August 1912
- Steamship Line: Cunard Line
- Steamship: RMS Laconia
- Route: Liverpool to New York
- Ticket Type: Agent's Record
- Voyage Class: Third Class
- Name on Contract: Mrs. A. Ambler and Ethel Ambler
- Etnicity of Passenger(s): British
- Contract Terms: Not Stated
- Cost of Ticket: $52.50 / $1,450.00 USD in 2020
Agent's Record Details
This is an Agent's Record of a Third Class Steerage Ticket for one adult and one child from Liverpool to New York on the Cunard Steamship SS Laconia (I)
Record to be kept by Agent
No. 118545
Cunard Line
Third Class Outward
- Date of Issue: 10 August 1912
- For Steamer: Laconia
- Sailing: 20 August 1912
- Booked to: Liverpool
Names of Passengers and Age:
- Mrs. A. Ambler (32)
- Ethel Ambler (5)
1 Adult 1 Children 0 Infant
Amount Paid: $52.50
Commission: $3
Advised: $49.50
Address: 318 Woonasquatucket Avenue Lymansvide (Providence, RI)
Dated: 24 August 1912
Extract from Ships' Passenger Manifest (Return Trip)
- First Name: Annie
- Last Name: Ambler
- Ethnicity: USC (Note 4)
- Last Place of Residence: USA
- Date of Arrival: November 04, 1912
- Age at Arrival: 32 y
- Gender: Female
- Marital Status: Married
- Ship of Travel: Laconia (1912)
- Port of Departure: Liverpool
- Manifest Line Number: 0001
Note 4: Naturalized US Citizen by virtue of Marriage
Information on Document
- Date: 1912 August 10
- Agent Receipt No. 118545
- Dimensions: 9.7 x 19.8 cm
Relative Cost of Passage Ticket in Today's Currency Value
In 2020, the relative values of $52.50 from 1912 ranges from $1,030.00 to $29,100.00.
A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $1,450.00. This answer is obtained by multiplying $52.50 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 $52.50 Commodity in 1912 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:
- real price of that commodity is $1,450.00
- real value in consumption of that commodity is $2,950.00
- labor value of that commodity is $7,220.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $9,140.00 (using production worker compensation)
- income value of that commodity is $8,390.00
- economic share of that commodity is $29,100.00
If you want to compare the value of a $52.50 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 $1,450.00
- household purchasing power value of that income or wealth is $2,950.00
- relative labor earnings of that commodity are $7,220.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $9,140.00 (using production worker compensation)
- relative income value of that income or wealth is $8,390.00
- relative output value of that income or wealth is $29,100.00
If you want to compare the value of a $52.50 Project in 1912 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:
- real cost of that project is $1,030.00
- household cost of that project is $2,950.00
- labor cost of that project is $7,220.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $9,140.00 (using production worker compensation)
- relative cost of that project is $8,390.00
- economy cost of that project is $29,100.00
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 Laconia Agent’s Record (10 August 1912) – A Journey Across the Atlantic 🚢
📜 Overview: A Glimpse into Third-Class Transatlantic Travel
The Agent’s Record of a Third-Class Outward Steamship Ticket for SS Laconia, dated 10 August 1912, provides a compelling insight into early 20th-century immigration and transatlantic travel. This document, issued for Mrs. Annie Ambler and her 5-year-old daughter Ethel, represents a prepaid third-class voyage from Liverpool to New York on the Cunard Line’s RMS Laconia.
📌 Why is this document significant?
✔️ Valuable for genealogists – Confirms names, ages, and addresses, linking individuals to historical immigration records.
✔️ Useful for teachers & students – Offers a primary source on migration patterns, ticketing systems, and the role of Cunard Line.
✔️ Essential for historians – Illustrates third-class travel conditions, financial transactions, and women’s migration experiences.
✔️ Explores early 20th-century travel logistics – Demonstrates how ticket agents managed bookings and commissions.
🚢 This record is more than just a ticket—it’s a story of family migration, financial investment, and a journey to the New World!
🌍 Who Would Benefit from This Record?
📖 Teachers & Students – Primary source material for learning about transatlantic migration, social history, and maritime travel.
🧬 Genealogists – Direct evidence linking an ancestor to their passage across the Atlantic.
📜 Historians – Shows how major steamship lines like Cunard handled third-class migration.
🛳 Maritime Enthusiasts – Provides insight into ship operations, ticketing, and third-class conditions.
📜 Key Highlights from the Agent’s Record
📌 Ticket Details: An Immigration Story in the Making
🔹 Passenger: Mrs. Annie Ambler (32) & Ethel Ambler (5)
🔹 Date of Purchase: 10 August 1912
🔹 Departure Date: 20 August 1912
🔹 Steamship: RMS Laconia (I)
🔹 Route: Liverpool → New York
🔹 Class: Third Class (Steerage)
🔹 Cost of Ticket: $52.50 (Equivalent to ~$1,450.00 in 2020 USD)
🔹 Ticket Agent’s Commission: $3.00
📌 What makes this record interesting?
✔️ Prepaid passage – Suggests a family member or sponsor in the U.S. may have paid for the ticket.
✔️ Passenger's destination – Their U.S. address (318 Woonasquatucket Ave, Providence, RI) provides a direct genealogical link.
✔️ Women and children in migration – Shows how mothers and children traveled together in third-class conditions.
✔️ Agent’s commission – Illustrates how ticket sales worked, including financial transactions between agents and steamship companies.
📌 Passenger’s Return Trip: Confirmation in the Ship Manifest
🔹 Annie Ambler was a naturalized U.S. citizen – Her return voyage in November 1912 confirms she was likely already settled in the U.S.
🔹 Immigration through marriage – The document notes that Annie gained U.S. citizenship through her husband.
📌 Why is this important?
✔️ Links outbound and return voyages, showing that migration was often a round-trip experience for many immigrants.
✔️ Naturalization by marriage – Highlights how many women gained U.S. citizenship through their husbands before 1922.
✔️ Reveals social mobility – Annie may have returned to visit family or assist other relatives in immigrating.
📌 The Ticket Price: Then vs. Now 💰
💰 Original Ticket Price (1912): $52.50
💰 2020 Equivalent (Adjusted for Inflation): $1,450.00 – $29,100.00 (depending on economic measure used)
📌 Did You Know?
✔️ Third-class passengers paid significantly less than cabin-class travelers but still made a substantial financial investment.
✔️ Most third-class passengers were immigrants, traveling with the hope of a better future.
✔️ Prepaid tickets were common, often purchased by relatives already settled in the U.S.
🖼 Noteworthy Image in the Collection
🖼 📜 Cunard Line’s SS Laconia Agent’s Record (1912) – An official receipt with passenger details, route information, and pricing.
📌 Why is this image important?
✔️ A rare, authentic document showcasing third-class transatlantic migration.
✔️ Illustrates how agents handled ticket sales and financial transactions.
✔️ Provides a historical reference to confirm passenger identities.
