United States Lines Passage Payment Receipts - 1928: Financing Irish Immigration to America

📌 Explore the 1928 United States Lines Passage Payment Receipts for the Downing Family of Cobh, Ireland. These documents highlight how immigrants financed transatlantic travel, sponsorship systems, and third-class passage aboard steamships. A vital resource for historians, genealogists, and maritime enthusiasts! 🚢💵

United States Lines Additional Payment Receipt dated 30 March 1928 for Prospectives Passage for an Irish Family, For a Voyage from Cobh to New York. GGA Image ID # 1a1bf5005d

Summary of Additional Payment Receipts

• Date of Purchase / Voyage: 30 March 1928 and 15 April 1928
• Steamship Line: United States Lines
• Steamship: Unknown
• Route: Cobb to New York
• Ticket Type: Additional Payment Receipts
• Voyage Class: Third
• Name on Contract: Downing Family of Cobb, Ireland
• Etnicity of Passenger(s): Irish
• Contract Terms: None
• Cost of Ticket: $180.00 / $2,720.00 USD in 2020

Additional Payment Receipts Details

Form Acct 112 200 Pads-G.P. 2-21-27, Original United States Lines Additional Payment Receipt, Serial No. 15520 for Prospective Passengers -- the Downing Family, 6 Donelan Terrace, Cobh, Ireland, Remitted by Mr. B. Downing, Glenwolde, Terrytown, New York on 30 March 1928. To be applied $50.00 Cash Payment.

Immigrants already in America would often pay for other family members to come to the United States. Two receipts for payments to the United States Lines were made for the Downing Family of Cobh (Queenstown) to travel to New York on a USL steamship in the Third Class. Payments made in March and April 1928 totaled $180.00.

Once the passage was completely paid for, the agent would create a passage ticket that the Downing family could use to board a USL ship to New York. Per United States Lines Agent A. C. Fisher.

United States Lines Additional Payment Receipt dated 15 April 1928 for Prospectives Passage for an Irish Family, For a Voyage from Cobh to New York. GGA Image ID # 1a1c4ef22a

Form Acct 1:2 5M Sets 1-28 R. P. Co. Original United States Lines Additional Payment Receipt, Serial No. 15967, Prospective Passengers in the Third Class -- Downing Family, 6 Donelan Terrace, Cobh, Ireland, $130.00 Remitted by Mr. B. Downing of Glendale, Tarrytown, NY on 16 April 1928, Per United States Lines Agent A. C. Fisher.

Relative Cost of Passage Ticket in Today's Currency Value

In 2020, the relative values of $180.00 from 1928 ranges from $2,170.00 to $38,300.00.

A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $2,720.00. This answer is obtained by multiplying $180 by the percentage increase in the CPI from 1928 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 $180.00 Commodity in 1928 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real price of that commodity is $2,720.00
• real value in consumption of that commodity is $5,520.00
• labor value of that commodity is $10,100.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $11,300.00 (using production worker compensation)
• income value of that commodity is $14,000.00
• economic share of that commodity is $38,300.00

If you want to compare the value of a $180.00 Income or Wealth, in 1928 there are five choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real wage or real wealth value of that income or wealth is $2,720.00
• household purchasing power value of that income or wealth is $5,520.00
• relative labor earnings of that commodity are $10,100.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $11,300.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative income value of that income or wealth is $14,000.00
• relative output value of that income or wealth is $38,300.00

If you want to compare the value of a $180.00 Project in 1928 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real cost of that project is $2,170.00
• household cost of that project is $5,520.00
• labor cost of that project is $10,100.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $11,300.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative cost of that project is $14,000.00
• economy cost of that project is $38,300.00

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.

Recap and Summary of United States Lines Passage Payment Receipts - 1928 🚢💵

The United States Lines Passage Payment Receipts from 1928 serve as a powerful reminder of the immigrant experience, particularly for families separated by the Atlantic Ocean. These documents highlight the financial sacrifices made by immigrants already in America who sent money back home to pay for their relatives' ocean passage.

This historical record is invaluable for teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, as it sheds light on early 20th-century immigration patterns, financial arrangements, and transatlantic travel logistics.

🔎 Why This is Important for Ocean Travel Research

This set of payment receipts is relevant for:

📚 Teachers & Students – Offers a real-world example of immigration finance, illustrating how families reunited through prepaid passage.

🧬 Genealogists – Essential for tracking family migration history and understanding how relatives helped each other immigrate.

⏳ Historians – Provides a snapshot of Irish immigration in the 1920s, a time of restrictive U.S. immigration laws and economic uncertainty.

⚓ Maritime Enthusiasts – Highlights the practical aspects of steamship travel, such as ticket payments, booking procedures, and third-class accommodations.

📜 Key Details from the Payment Receipts

📅 Date of Purchase: 30 March 1928 & 15 April 1928

🚢 Steamship Line: United States Lines

🛳️ Ship: Unknown

🌍 Route: Cobh (Queenstown), Ireland → New York, USA

🎟️ Ticket Type: Additional Payment Receipts

💺 Voyage Class: Third Class

🆔 Passenger Name: Downing Family of Cobh, Ireland

🇮🇪 Ethnicity: Irish

📑 Contract Terms: Not stated

💰 Cost of Ticket: $180.00 (~$2,720 in 2020)

📌 Most Engaging Content

1️⃣ The Immigrant Sponsorship System

One of the most fascinating aspects of these receipts is the process of immigrant sponsorship:

Mr. B. Downing of Tarrytown, NY, prepaid for his family’s voyage. 🏡➡️🇺🇸

Payment was made in two installments – first $50 on March 30, then $130 on April 15.

The total cost of passage was $180—which, when adjusted for inflation, equates to approximately $2,720 in 2020. 💰

This reinforces the idea that ocean travel was an expensive endeavor, and many immigrants relied on family members already in America to finance their journey.

For genealogists, this type of document is a goldmine of information, linking family members across continents.

2️⃣ The Third-Class Experience for Irish Immigrants

Since third-class accommodations were the most common for immigrants, these payment receipts hint at the living conditions on board:

🔹 Large shared dormitories instead of private cabins 🚢

🔹 Basic meals served three times a day 🍲

🔹 Limited personal space and hygiene facilities 🛁

🔹 Long voyages (typically 8–12 days from Ireland to New York) ⏳

Given the large number of Irish immigrants traveling in third class, these receipts are significant in understanding Irish migration trends in the late 1920s.

3️⃣ Immigration & Travel Bureaucracy

The United States Lines agent, A.C. Fisher, played a crucial role in:

🔹 Processing the Downing family’s payment 💵

🔹 Ensuring they received their official passage ticket 🎟️

🔹 Finalizing their spot on a USL steamship 🚢

This demonstrates how structured and bureaucratic the immigration process was.

For historians, these receipts help reconstruct the mechanics of immigrant travel, showing how financial transactions were handled and recorded.

📸 Noteworthy Images

1️⃣ March 30, 1928 Payment Receipt 💵 – Documents the initial $50 payment made by Mr. B. Downing for his family’s voyage. 📷 GGA Image ID # 1a1bf5005d

2️⃣ April 15, 1928 Payment Receipt 📝 – Confirms the remaining $130 was paid, allowing the Downing family to receive their passage ticket. 📷 GGA Image ID # 1a1c4ef22a

💰 The Cost of Passage in Today’s Value

1928 Ticket Cost: $180.00

Equivalent in 2020:

🔹 Purchasing Power: $2,720.00

🔹 Real Value in Consumption: $5,520.00

🔹 Labor Equivalent: $10,100 - $11,300

🔹 Income Equivalent: $14,000

🔹 Economic Share of the Ticket: Up to $38,300!

This highlights how significant a financial burden transatlantic passage was for working-class families. Many immigrants saved for years or relied on family members already in America to help pay for their passage.

🔍 Final Thoughts & Why This Matters

The United States Lines Passage Payment Receipts from 1928 tell a deeply personal story—one of family, sacrifice, and the dream of a better future.

🔹 For historians, these receipts reveal the financial and logistical challenges of immigration.

🔹 For genealogists, they provide tangible links between family members across the Atlantic.

🔹 For teachers and students, they serve as real-world evidence of the immigrant experience in the late 1920s.

🔹 For maritime enthusiasts, they offer insight into how third-class travel was financed and organized.

Ultimately, these receipts are more than just financial records—they represent hope, opportunity, and the pursuit of a new life in America. 🌍✈️🚢