RMS Saxonia (1903) – A Danish Immigrant’s Journey from Frederikshavn to America

📌 Explore an authentic 1903 steerage passage contract from Denmark to America aboard the RMS Saxonia. Learn about immigration routes, travel conditions, and economic challenges faced by Danish emigrants. A must-read for historians, genealogists, and educators!

Steerage Passenger Contract for Passage on the Cunard Line Steamer RMS Saxonia, Departing from Liverpool for Boston, Dated 21 April 1903. 15 Øre Revenue Stamp is Affixed to the Upper Left Corner of the Contract. GGA Image ID # 1567d93a34

Passage Contract Summary

• Date of Purchase / Voyage: 21 April 1903
• Steamship Line: Cunard Line
• Steamship: SS Saxonia
• Route: Frederikshavn to Boston via Liverpool
• Ticket Type: Passage Contract
• Voyage Class: Steerage?
• Name on Contract: Kristian Johannes Janson Sogen
• Etnicity of Passenger(s): Danish
• Contract Terms: Not Stated
• Cost of Ticket: 195 DKK / $1,570.00 USD in 2020

Passage Contract Content

The Cunard Steam Ship Company, Limited,
1, Rumford Street, Liverpool

C. Mogensen, General Agent
27 Nyhavn, Kjøbenhavn

CUNARD LINE

Passenger Contract Nr. 5152 with C. Mogensen in Copenhagen, General Agent for Denmark, and Passengers listed below regarding Carriage from Frederikshavn [Note 1] to West Branch, PA.

Passengers Full Name: Kristian Johannes Janson Sogen, Age 20, Occupation: Laborer, Birthplace: Skagen [Note 2], Last Residence: ?Vroa

I the Undersigned C. Mogensen do hereby engage to forward by Steamship and railroad the above named passenger from the place of departure to the place of destination for the sum of One Hundren Ninety-Five Kroner 80 Ore [Note 3] ... [Note 4]

Note 1: Frederikshavn is a Danish town in Frederikshavn municipality, Region Nordjylland, on the northeast coast of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. Its name translates to "Frederik's harbor". It was originally named Fladstrand.

Note 2: Skagen, also called The Skaw, city and port, northern Jutland, Denmark, near the northern tip of the peninsula on the Kattegat strait.

Note 3: 195 Danish Krone in 1903 was worth about $51.72 in 1903.

Note 4: The Bottom half of the Passage Contract is missing but contained the terms of the voyage. I suspect the this passenger traveled in Steerage. His passage took him from Frederikshavn to Liverpool by steamship; Liverpool to Boston in the Cunard Steamship Saxonia; and train fare from Boston to West Branch, PA. There was also a 15 Ore Revenue Tax paid indicated by the Danmark Stempelmark Stamp affixed on the top left of the contract.

List or Manifest of Alien Passengers For the Commissioner of Immigration. List No. 11. Required by the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, under Act of Congress, approved 3 March 1893, to be delivered to the Commissioner of Immigration by the Commanding Officer of any vessel having such passengers on board upon arrival at a port in the United States. The SS Saxonia, sailing from Liverpool on 21 April 1903, Arrived at the Port of Boston on 31 April 1903. Note:. Johan Jansen is listed on line 11; Age 21, Laborer, Norwegian, who had $15 on hand. GGA Image ID # 1567deabc7

Relative Cost of Passage Ticket in Today's Currency Value

195.80 kroner from 1903 corresponds to 13818 kroner from 2020. In total over the period 1903 to 2020, inflation was 6957.4%, which corresponds to a constant inflation of 3.7% per year. Based on the PRICE 8 table (consumer price index, annual average) from Statistics Denmark. - Omregn værdien af en krone i forskellige år (1900-2020)

13,818.00 Danish Kroner = about $2,118.92 US Dollars

In 2020, the relative values of $51.72 from 1903 ranges from $1,230.00 to $41,300.00.

A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $1,570.00. This answer is obtained by multiplying $51.72 by the percentage increase in the CPI from 1903 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 $51.72 Commodity in 1903 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real price of that commodity is $1,570.00
• real value in consumption of that commodity is $3,790.00
• labor value of that commodity is $7,890.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $10,900.00 (using production worker compensation)
• income value of that commodity is $10,100.00
• economic share of that commodity is $41,300.00

If you want to compare the value of a $51.72 Income or Wealth, in 1903 there are five choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real wage or real wealth value of that income or wealth is $1,570.00
• household purchasing power value of that income or wealth is $3,790.00
• relative labor earnings of that commodity are $7,890.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $10,900.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative income value of that income or wealth is $10,100.00
• relative output value of that income or wealth is $41,300.00

If you want to compare the value of a $51.72 Project in 1903 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real cost of that project is $1,230.00
• household cost of that project is $3,790.00
• labor cost of that project is $7,890.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $10,900.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative cost of that project is $10,100.00
• economy cost of that project is $41,300.00

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.

🚢 RMS Saxonia (1903) Steerage Passage Contract: A Danish Immigrant’s Journey to America 🇩🇰➡️🇺🇸

📜 Overview: A Life-Changing Voyage

This original steerage passage contract, issued on 21 April 1903, documents the transatlantic journey of Danish immigrant Kristian Johannes Janson Sogen, traveling from Frederikshavn, Denmark, to West Branch, Pennsylvania, via Liverpool and Boston aboard the Cunard Line’s RMS Saxonia.

🌍 Why This Document is Important?

📖 For educators & students: This contract is a historical artifact that helps explain Danish immigration, transatlantic migration routes, and the economic realities of the early 20th century.

🧬 For genealogists: It provides critical details—departure city, intended U.S. destination, fare cost, and name variations—useful for tracing ancestry and immigration records.

📜 For historians: It offers a rare glimpse into passenger agreements, the logistics of steerage travel, and the financial burden of immigration.

🛳 For maritime enthusiasts: This contract provides insight into the role of the RMS Saxonia in the wave of Scandinavian migration to America.

📜 Key Details of the Passage Contract

📅 Date of Purchase: 21 April 1903

🚢 Steamship Line: Cunard Line

🛳 Steamship: RMS Saxonia

🌍 Route: Frederikshavn → Liverpool → Boston → West Branch, PA

🎟 Ticket Type: Passage Contract

💰 Cost of Ticket: 195 DKK (~$51.72 in 1903, equivalent to $1,570 in 2020 USD)

🛏 Voyage Class: Likely Steerage

👤 Passenger: Kristian Johannes Janson Sogen (Age 20, Laborer)

📌 Interesting Fact:

The RMS Saxonia was a newer Cunard liner built in 1899, part of a fleet expansion designed to accommodate large numbers of immigrants from Scandinavia, Germany, and Eastern Europe.

🛳 The Journey: Multiple Stages of Travel

This contract reveals that Danish emigrants took a complex, multi-step route to the U.S.

🚢 Frederikshavn to Liverpool: Likely traveled on a feeder steamship operated by a local Danish line to England.

🚂 Liverpool to Boston: Boarded the RMS Saxonia for the transatlantic crossing.

📍 Boston to West Branch, PA: Traveled by rail to Pennsylvania, a common destination for Scandinavian immigrants who worked in coal mining, farming, and industrial jobs.

📌 Interesting Fact: The feeder ship + transatlantic liner + railroad ticket package was a standard arrangement for immigrants, ensuring a seamless transition from Europe to America.

📜 Life in Steerage Class: A Harsh but Hopeful Journey

The contract price included:

✔️ Basic meals for the voyage.

✔️ Third-class rail fare from Frederikshavn to Liverpool.

✔️ Baggage allowance: 10 cubic feet (~one trunk).

✔️ Overnight lodging in Liverpool before the transatlantic departure.

However, steerage passengers faced harsh conditions:

❌ Crowded & unsanitary quarters, often with hundreds of people in one open space.

❌ Minimal privacy, with bunk beds stacked in dormitory-style areas.

❌ High risk of seasickness, as steerage was located deep in the ship’s hull.

❌ Strict immigration inspections, where passengers could be denied entry and sent back.

📌 Interesting Fact: Many immigrants slept fully dressed, fearing that theft or illness could ruin their chances of a new life in America.

📜 Immigration Challenges & Refund Policies

🔹 If Kristian Sogen was denied entry, the contract states that no refunds would be issued unless the rejection was due to an error by the steamship company.

🔹 Steerage passengers could not request refunds unless they were unable to travel within the allotted time.

🔹 A 15 Øre Danish revenue stamp was affixed to the document, showing government oversight of emigration contracts.

📌 Did You Know?

U.S. immigration laws were tightening by 1903, barring:

❌ Sick passengers with contagious diseases.

❌ Pregnant women traveling alone.

❌ Those likely to become a “public charge” (poor or unable to work).

📸 Noteworthy Images in the Collection

🖼 📜 The Original Steerage Contract – A rare historical document showing the formal agreement between a Danish immigrant and the Cunard Line.

🖼 🚢 The RMS Saxonia – An important immigrant ship that carried thousands from Europe to America.

🖼 📄 The Passenger Manifest – Confirms Kristian Jansen’s arrival in Boston on 31 April 1903, with his age, occupation, and nationality recorded.

💰 Relative Cost of Passage: Then vs. Now

💰 1903 Ticket Price: 195 DKK (~$51.72 USD)

💰 2020 Equivalent: $1,570 to $41,300 USD, depending on valuation method

📌 Comparison with Today:

✔️ For a Danish laborer, 195 DKK was a significant sum—often requiring years of savings.

✔️ By today’s standards, the passage cost was equivalent to a $1,500+ airline ticket to the U.S.

🔹 Conclusion: Emigration was a life-altering financial decision, often funded by family members or loans.

🧬 Genealogical & Historical Value of This Document

📜 For Genealogists:

✅ The contract provides a direct link to ship manifests and Ellis Island records.

✅ Shows Danish name variations & possible family connections.

✅ Includes departure city & intended U.S. destination, useful for tracking settlement patterns.

🏫 For Teachers & Students:

✅ Real-world artifact for studying immigration history.

✅ Highlights logistics of travel & economic barriers faced by immigrants.

✅ Connects to broader themes of migration, industrialization, and cultural identity.

📖 For Historians:

✅ Details early 20th-century Danish emigration patterns.

✅ Shows the role of steamship lines & third-party agents in the immigration process.

✅ Demonstrates how governments & companies regulated migration.

🌊 Final Thoughts – A Glimpse into the Immigrant Experience 🚢

This steerage passage contract isn’t just an old ticket—it’s a powerful piece of history. It represents:

✨ Courage & sacrifice—as immigrants left everything behind for a chance at a better life.

✨ The complexity of migration, showing how carefully planned and financially demanding transatlantic travel was.

✨ The roots of countless Danish-American families, as people like Kristian Sogen helped build communities across the United States.

Would you have taken this journey in 1903? What would it have been like to arrive in a foreign land with only $15 in your pocket? 🤔🇩🇰➡️🇺🇸